Through continued discussions on establishing a permanent shelter in Beaverton, City Council recently adopted criteria to guide the process of identifying a site for the shelter at their Nov. 9 meeting. The criteria were informed by a discussion with a panel of experts in homelessness services, who provided insight on the need for and the siting of a permanent shelter in Beaverton during a September City Council meeting. The panel included county, nonprofit, and mental health service providers, who emphasized that there is no perfect site for a shelter, but that a shelter is needed year-round to provide a safe place for adults experiencing homelessness to be connected to services and gain stability.
Shelter location:
■ Accessible to transit, social services and employment
■ Transit accessibility, with high-frequency transit or several nearby routes
■ Within walking or easy transit access to social and health services
■ Within walking or easy transit access to commercial services such as grocery stores
Ability to engage with neighborhood:
■ Avoid socially isolated areas where shelter cannot easily establish community relationships
■ Develop good neighbor agreement to clearly identify expectations and a path for problem solving and ongoing communication
■ Maintain ongoing relationships with neighbors
Shelter building and site:
■ Standalone building with some setback from neighbors for shelter resident privacy
■ Site large enough to accommodate some staff and resident parking, storage, etc.
■ Building large enough to accommodate sleeping, communal space, and support services (minimum 5,500 square feet)
■ Building able to be ADA accessible
For updates on a permanent shelter and other shelter projects in Beaverton, sign up for the Shelter “Notify Me” on www.BeavertonOregon.gov/Shelter.
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