Next Step Community (formerly known as Central County Safe Rest Village) Good Neighbor Agreement
Program Overview
In late December, the Department of Housing Services purchased a property located at 3390 SW 209th Ave to permanently locate 60 safe rest pod pallet homes, serving a maximum of 70 individuals. This new safe rest pod village program will provide a stepping stone to long-term housing for people experiencing homelessness, as Washington County maintains existing shelter capacity by relocating a temporary pod village program to this permanent location.
Experienced pod-shelter service provider Open Door HousingWorks was selected to operate this new program through a competitive process. Open Door will provide 24/7 staff trained in safety, housing navigation, and employment support, and will share a dedicated phone number and email to respond to neighbors' questions and concerns. Open Door has previously operated three other pod shelter villages successfully in Hillsboro, Cornelius, and Aloha.
Program amenities will include 24/7 staffing to maintain cleanliness and safety, security installations, including perimeter fence and gate, on-site guest and staff parking within shelter fencing, gathering tent, housing and support services case management, and meals, restrooms, and showers.
Community Engagement and Timeline
Washington County and Open Door staff are facilitating a collaborative effort with nearby neighbors to develop a Good Neighbor Agreement (also referred to as a neighborhood plan). The Good Neighbor Agreement addresses safety, livability, and communication concerns.
Neighborhood meetings
Bi-monthly workshop with partners, law enforcement, and neighbors to create a GNA.
Past Meetings:
- May 20, 2026, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Reedville Elementary School Gymnasium
2695 SW 209th Ave Aloha, OR - April 8, 2026, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Tamarack Elementary School Gymnasium
7201 SE Kinnaman Street in Hillsboro, OR - February 25, 2026
Virtual via Zoom - Recording
Learn more about our shelter siting community engagement process.
Project Timeline
- December 2025: County purchased property
- February 2026: Community Engagement Begins
- February-Summer 2026: Renovations and Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) process underway
- Summer 2026: Facility opens, neighbors notified of opening date and final GNA.
- February 2026 and beyond: Feedback collected from neighbors and encouraged from day one
NOTE: This timeline is subject to change based on labor and funding constraints.
For additional questions or to be added to the interested parties list, please contact [email protected].
Looking for a full version and physical copy of the FAQs?
FAQs
Each County transitional housing site selects an on-site service provider through a competitive process. The service provider uses 24/7 staffing to monitor cleanliness and safety, often including perimeter fencing and security cameras.
Service providers work closely with local law enforcement to address safety and livability concerns. All participants staying in the program must sign a Participant Agreement (or Code of Conduct), which prohibits drugs and alcohol and sets behavior expectations on and around the site. Participants who break the Participant Agreement (or Code of Conduct) will lose their place at the homeless services facility.
Camping near the facility is not allowed and will be enforced by the service provider, County staff, and law enforcement in alignment with Washington County’s Time, Place, Manner Policy. This policy prohibits camping near homeless services facilities.
As always, all criminal activity should be reported to law enforcement officials, by calling 9-1-1 in emergency situations, or 503-629-0111 in non-emergency situations.
Together, these measures have been effective at other shelters across Washington County. As an example, we worked with the Sheriff’s Office to pull call data before and after the temporary Aloha Safe Rest Village opened (see below).
When we choose homeless services facility locations, we look at many factors to make sure they work well for the people who will live there and for the surrounding neighborhood. Washington County applies Board-approved Siting Guidelines when determining location of homeless facilities.
We looked at the location in relation to existing services in Washington County, the potential community impact and consider how close it is to public transportation, grocery stores, and job opportunities, things that will help program participants be successful. Other considerations include property size and location, geographic distribution of homeless services facilities, and the condition of the building.
Here is a map of existing and planned homeless services facilities.
Washington County is home to many schools, which means most potential shelter or transitional housing sites will likely be near one (see map of schools in Washington County below). When choosing locations, we follow shelter siting guidelines and look for availability along with access to public transportation, grocery stores, and job opportunities, resources that help shelter residents succeed, all while staying within our limited budget.
While there are no state rules about how close shelters can be to schools, we carefully consider the impact on the surrounding community, including schools, playgrounds, traffic and parks. We also communicate directly with local school districts and invite them to be part of the engagement process.
We are committed to safety and transparency, and we will work closely with schools and neighbors to ensure shelters are a well-maintained, positive addition to the community.
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