"Two Portland development firms are donating space for a temporary homeless shelter in the Shleifer Furniture building in the heart of the city’s central east side.
The shelter opened Monday. It will provide a place to sleep at night for up to 100 people.
It will remain open until the fall.
George Devendorf is the executive director of Transition Projects, the nonprofit that manages the shelter, along with several others in the Portland area.
“When folks who are living outside don’t have to worry about where they’re going to be sleeping tonight, they’re much better able to focus on those things that they want to do and need to do to rebuild their lives. That’s the main value of a place like this,” he said.
Men, women, couples and pets can make reservations to stay at the shelter.
The Shleifer building’s co-owners, Beam Development and Urban Development + Partners, are offering up space as a shelter before they begin work restoring the building for use as a hotel later this year.
It’s the third time Multnomah County and the City of Portland have partnered with local developers to turn unused commercial properties into temporary shelters for the homeless." Amelia Templeton and Emily Fuller, OPB
