Clinton Triangle - (1490 SE Gideon St.)
Shelter Operator: Urban Alchemy
Contact: 971-269-0024 (available 24/7)
Shelter Capacity: 160 sleeping units
Referrals: Referrals to this shelter are made directly by specific outreach workers only, including a small team of City outreach workers via the Street Services Coordination Center and the Navigation Team (contracted by the Joint Office for Homeless Services) which consists of Central City Concern, Transition Projects and Mental Health Advocates of Oregon. We cannot accept self-referral or third-party referral requests at this time. There is no waitlist for this shelter.
Open Since: July 2023
Shelter Type: Temporary Alternative Shelter Site
Where: Brooklyn/Hosford-Abernethy neighborhoods
Address / Landowner: 1490 S.E. Gideon Street/owned by Stacey & Witbeck (leased by the City of Portland)
Links to the location on maps: PortlandMaps Google Maps
Clinton Triangle is the first City of Portland’s Temporary Alternative Shelter Site, where unsheltered Portlanders are welcomed with compassion, support and a connection to case workers and service providers. The goal is for every individual at this shelter, many of whom have experienced trauma from chronic homelessness, to stabilize in the safe environment and develop a long-term housing and health plan.
Portlanders experiencing houselessness who are referred by city, county, and nonprofit outreach partners (walk-ins are not allowed) have access to at least one meal per day, restrooms, showers (including ADA-accessible restrooms), laundry, storage space, electricity, Wi-Fi, and nearby public transportation.
On site, the pavement is painted with lines and dots to guide guests and staff through the outdoor shelter, which includes two covered seating areas and a fenced space for pets. The tiny homes (8x8’ pods manufactured by local company LIT) are arranged in clusters of 8 with banners at the entrance of each section named for various Portland neighborhoods, such as Cully and Old Town.
The shelter’s front gate is secure and staffed 24/7 with one point of entry. Shelter participants must check in and out as they enter and exit the shelter. Outside guests are not allowed.
Services
Clinton Triangle is a low-barrier shelter for adults (age 18+). Pets are allowed. Couples can share a tiny home. Guests can stay for an indefinite period, though the intention is for individuals to use the site temporarily before transitioning to other housing or care.
Upon arrival, guests are entered into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) by Urban Alchemy care coordinators (a ratio of 1 staff member for every 15 guests) and care practitioners (a 20:1 ratio) who help guests create a “service plan” by identifying their barriers to housing, such as missing identification and legal documents, signing up for assistance programs like the Oregon Health Plan, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Social Security Income or Veterans Affairs’ benefits and/or addressing any need for medical treatment.
Other providers, including HealthShare, CareOregon and Central City Concern, come to the shelter regularly to assist in connecting guests with primary care doctors, meeting any need for medication and/or accessibility equipment. Medical Teams International provides dental care on site.
Other services to meet immediate needs at Clinton Triangle include bus passes, case management, clothing, hygiene, bedding, and pet supplies.
Housing vouchers, rental assistance Housing navigation is provided by Oregon All In, Transition Projects Inc., and Housing Multnomah Now.
Funding
The City of Portland authorized funding for Temporary Alternative Shelter Sites following emergency resolutions passed by City Council in October 2022. This project is funded through the City of Portland general funds, State of Oregon emergency funds, the Joint Office for Homeless Services and the American Rescue Plan Act.
The City’s lease for this property runs three years, but the duration of the program will be dependent on its success. The City’s service contract with Urban Alchemy runs one year and is renewable.
Data
Refer to the full dashboard for a more complete picture of program outcomes, including demographic details such as race, ethnicity, gender and age of participants. This dashboard follows reporting requirements by the America Rescue Plan Act, a federal grant which partially funds TASS program.
Link to data dashboard: Temporary Alternative Shelter Sites | Rescue Plan Open Data: Investing in Portland (arcgis.com)
Good neighbor agreement
The City has established an agreement that Urban Alchemy secure, clean and manage a perimeter of approximately 1,000-foot outside the Temporary Alternative Shelter Site, where the City will prohibit unsanctioned camping. Urban Alchemy will provide direct outreach to any unsheltered persons in that area through daily walking rounds in the area. Business owners, residents, school principals are encouraged to engage with Urban Alchemy and contact facilitators about any concerns related to the site.
The City engaged with neighborhood associations over three months and 10+ meetings to facilitate a Good Neighbor Agreement (signed by representatives of the Brooklyn Action Corps, Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood District, Central Eastside Industrial Council and Greater Brooklyn Business Association) that captures the community’s expectations for this location, along with identified data metrics to measure its impact on the community and on helping Portland make progress on the challenge of unsheltered homelessness.
In the Good Neighbor Agreement, the City agreed to conduct a transparent review of the program after two years, in addition to funding neighborhood livability projects (such as graffiti removal and vegetation replanting) via support from the Public Environment Management Office.
City staff provide regular communication about the TASS and address neighbor concerns in monthly meetings with the newly formed Clinton Triangle Oversight Committee.
Resources for neighbors:
For unsanctioned campsites (including within 1,000 feet of Clinton Triangle, along bike paths, Safe Routes to School, sidewalks, roadways, foot bridges and overpasses) illegal trash dumping or homeless-related trash) and graffiti, file a report here: Report a Campsite | Portland.gov
All reported campsite locations in the City of Portland are assessed by the Impact Reduction Program. Track the status of existing reports on the program’s Data Dashboard.
You may also use 3-1-1 as a one-stop phone service to report issues or ask questions. The County’s 2-1-1 line is useful for helping individuals in need of connection to services. Non-emergency dispatchers can be reached at 503-823-3333 for situations that you believe require emergency services but do not pose an immediate threat to life or property. And 9-1-1 is of course appropriate for calling emergency services when they are needed immediately.
Neighborhood associations:
If you live in the area near Clinton Triangle and are interested in getting involved in the community effort to support Clinton Triangle, we regularly attend meetings with representatives from these neighborhood associations to ensure a positive neighbor relationship between the shelter and the surrounding community:
Brooklyn Action Corps - Brooklyn (brooklyn-neighborhood.org)
Hosford Abernethy Neighborhood Association (HAND): handpdx.org
Resources for shelter guests:
If you are experiencing homelessness, the City has a variety of resource referrals, hygiene access options, and job opportunities. If you have been impacted by a campsite removal, you can also find out how to retrieve property or report any problems with campsite removal crews.
Those interested in being connected to a congregate shelter, cooling/warming shelters, legal aid, employment resources should call 211 or visit Shelter and Homeless Services for more resources and information.
Community guidelines
Clinton Triangle is a low-barrier shelter, meaning the only requirement to access services at the shelter is to be 18 year of age or older and experiencing houselessness. However, that does not mean there are no expectations of conduct within the shelter.
Every participant/guest is required to agree to the following community guidelines when they accept services/shelter:
Grievance policy
Urban Alchemy—and other city shelter operators—have a policy in place for guest complaints and grievances to be submitted anonymously without fear of reprisals at each site they operate. The submissions are reviewed carefully and taken into thoughtful consideration to address any concerns immediately and appropriately. Complaints are reviewed by the site manager or higher-level staff and addressed directly.
Urban Alchemy Grievance Forms are available onsite and linked here:
Guests can obtain the form from a director, supervisor or care coordinator, who can help them fill it out if needed. The form can then be dropped off in the guest’s suggestion box, given directly to a staff member or mailed to Urban Alchemy’s headquarters: 1035 Market Street, STE 150, SF, CA.
The grievance is tracked in the Site Grievance Log to evaluate outcomes. Within five workdays following the receipt of a grievance, Urban Alchemy staff are required to meet with the guest about the grievance and address the issue.
Additionally, Clinton Triangle guests can report such concerns to the City’s Shelter Operations team using this email: shelterservices@portlandoregon.gov and/or to the City’s Ombudsperson.
Please note: if filing a complaint directly with the City of Portland, we cannot guarantee privacy protection due to required compliance of Public Records law.
More information
Community engagement:
- On September 17th, 2024 the City Shelter Services team and Portland solutions hosted a one-year update on the Clinton Triangle site, as well as provided information on various resources available to the community about who they can contact for issues related to the shelter/livability in the neighborhood.
- Mailer update on Clinton Triangle (mailed to surrounding neighborhoods Sept. 2023)
Communication:
Sign up for our Shelter Services newsletter for updates on the Safe Rest Villages and Temporary Alternative Shelter Sites programs at this link: Safe Rest Village Program (list-manage.com)
- Read the most recent issue “New Year – So Much New”: New Year - So Much New (portland.gov)
Contact
For media/news organizations:
Shelter Services Communications and Community Engagement Supervisor
Bryan Aptekar - bryan.aptekar@portland.oregon.g…503-865-6863
For community:
If you find that you have questions not addressed here, please reach out to our team at shelterservices@portlandoregon…