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City shelter services play a vital role in meeting the urgent needs of people experiencing homelessness, especially during times of crisis. Emergency shelters and day services offer immediate, life-saving refuge from the elements, while alternative shelter models provide a wider range of options that can better accommodate individual needs and circumstances. Together, these services form a critical safety net and serve as entry points into longer-term housing and support systems.
Community engagement is a critical component of an effective homelessness response. Portland's city shelter services were developed in partnership with the communities they serve. Engaging residents, local organizations, and people with lived experience fosters trust, increases transparency, and strengthens the community's shared commitment to creating safe, inclusive, and compassionate shelter options.
UPDATES TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS OF JULY 1, 2026:
The City is aligning its community engagement process for all City-run shelters, including Alternative Shelters/Safe Rest Villages (SRV), Emergency Overnight Shelters, and Day Services. When Alternative Shelters/SRV's were established, Good Neighbor Agreements (GNA) were developed with community stakeholders to formalize resources and structures to ensure both shelters and neighborhoods were collaborating for the benefit of all parties. GNA's included Community Advisory Committees (CAC), which were monthly meetings with selected City, community, and shelter operator representatives to discuss shelter successes and challenges.
The City will continue to honor established GNA's, but will adjust and standardize how the Shelter Services team regularly communicates and engages with neighbors who live near established City-run shelters. For all City shelters, including Alternative Shelters/SRV's, Emergency Overnight Shelters, and Day Services, the City will offer three pathways for regular communication available to all neighbors and community members. Standardized communication pathways will include the shelter services mailbox to provide shelter-related feedback (shelterservices@portlandoregon.gov), bi-weekly PEMO Problem Solver meetings to report general neighborhood livability issues, and a direct number for shelter operators to contact the site directly. The City will no longer hold monthly CAC meetings for a limited subset of shelters. This is in alignment with feedback provided by CAC members and other neighbors, who called for equitable access to the Shelter Services team. The Shelter Services team can also attend periodic Neighborhood Association meetings to provide shelter-related updates and receive community feedback.
The following resource outlines the City's approach to community engagement around all City-run shelter services. These services are shaped by community input about the impacts of a neighboring shelter and guided by a shared goal: to ensure all Portlanders have access to safe, dignified shelter and a path toward permanent housing.
Shelter Services Community Engagement Strategy
The engagement strategy presented in this document details a set of commitments around City resources to address potential impacts that City of Portland shelter services can have on the surrounding area, as well as to support participants at shelters.