Shelter Successes - March 2026

Each month, we will provide updates on the "smaller" wins usually hidden by the biggest goal of all--housing. These include managing the barriers that prevent someone from accessing housing or job resources, and can include such seemingly simple items as identification and social security cards. Some wins will be major, such as moving into drug treatment or moving in with family.  Every month will be different, and each shelter within our system has a different method of managing the housing process for participants. As such, some months some providers will have lots of updates--some less so. But our shelter operators are all working tirelessly to help support all of our participants every day--this is only a small highlight of their work. These also are only a small reflection of the work shelter providers are doing. We are serving over 1,000 people every night, and each of them are moving forward on their individual goals. 

We will also include updates from Portland Solutions' Street Services Coordination Center, as they provide invaluable outreach to our most vulnerable. They help coordinate referrals into overnight shelter, as well as work with various individuals to connect with services that fit their individual needs. They are vital to our efforts to end unsheltered homelessness, and we are thrilled to share their successes here. 

Have questions? Or have suggestions on other wins we should share? Reach out to shelterservices@portlandoregon…. If you want more detailed information on our exits, and the demographics of our shelters, we always encourage you to look at our data dashboard, which is updated quarterly.

Family Shelter

• 1 family was reunified through the Ticket Home program. 
  • The Ticket Home program, offered by the City of Portland, helps relocate unhoused people with their families, who may be in other areas. 

Bybee Lakes Hope Center 

• 11 individual participants moved into housing.
• 19 participants gained employment, 1 of which was with the sheltering organization. 
• 2 participants regained their birth certificates.
• 1 participant received their driver's permit. 
• 1 participant completed probation.
• 3 participants moved to a different state. 
  • Sometimes, people end up homeless because they get stuck somewhere. Helping people connect with the right opportunity, wherever it may be, is a major role of a case manager. 
• 1 participants received their drivers license. 
• 11 participants joined an intensive outpatient program 
  • Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) are structured, intermediate behavioral health treatment for mental health or substance use disorders, offering more care than weekly therapy without requiring overnight stays. They are critical for many participants' journey to stability, as many people in our programs disproportionately suffer from various mental or physical disabilities.  
• 5 participants enrolled in a medically assisted treatment program. 
  • Medically assisted treatment (MAT) is the FDA-approved use of various medications, combined with counseling and behavioral therapies, to treat substance use disorders, particularly for opioids and alcohol. It is a vital service for many of our participants to see long-term success in both housing and quality of life. 
• 1 participant received their passport.
• 1 participant moved in with family. 
• 1 participant went into detox.
• 1 participant purchased a bicycle. 
• 3 participants bought a car.
  • Cars are a necessary means of transportation for all of us, and they can be financially out of reach for those living outside. Shelter provides an opportunity for individuals to stabilize, potentially gain employment, and move towards large, financial milestones--like buying a vehicle. 
• 2 participants received vital medical care.  
• 4 participants received dentures. 

Church of the Nazarene 

• 2 participants entered recovery programs

CityTeam Grand

• Newer showers have been built to address the higher capacity
• Occupancy has overall increased as the weather continues to warm
• 1 person successfully transferred to City Team's 24 hour program to receive further services. 
  • Ideally, we want the overnight shelter system to serve as a conduit into further services. Once someone has a safe place to sleep, they are able to assess their other needs more holistically. 

Clinton Triangle 

• 25 participants received assistance for transportation, either through a rideshare or a provided bus ticket
• 11 participants received job training onsite
• 1 participant received life skills training 
  • Life skills training includes tasks like grocery and meal planning, house keeping, and budgeting. These are essential life skills many participants may not have or have forgotten in their time living outside. Stabilizing individuals in shelter does not only mean providing shelter--it means providing services that ensure a better life long-term. 
• 4 participants were able to access benefits 
  • Benefits range widely based on the individual participant. Case managers can help participants access their SNAP benefits, health insurance, or other individual programs that fit each participant's needs. 
• 1 participant received rental assistance
  • Rental assistance is often a major gateway into  long-term housing. As we all know, housing in Portland is expensive; often more expensive than our participants can afford on their own. Rental assistance provides a method by which to help people stabilize, either though paying the entirety of or a portion of their rent for a set period of time. That way, it gives time for guests to get used to paying for their other expenses, and build up savings and other necessities before taking on their full housing payment. 
• 131 participants received client assistance 
  • Client assistance are funds used to support smaller needs that can be barriers from someone procuring housing. These costs could be moving costs, getting ID costs taken care of, or other smaller expenses. 
• 37 participants received access to medical care
• 85 participants received care for their mental health
• 3 participants attended sessions with a Peer Support Specialist=

Multnomah 

• 22 participants received assistance for transportation, either through a rideshare or a provided bus ticket
• 3 participants received medical care 
  • This can include visiting any sort of qualified, medical provider. Often, people come into shelter with chronic illness or other physical ailments that have remained untreated because of lack of insurance or other barriers. Our shelter providers work closely with participants to help get them on insurance and connected into medical care. 
• 110 participants received substance use disorder treatment
  • Treatment options vary depending on the individual. It can include services like counseling, behavioral therapy, or medically assisted treatment.
• 39 participants attended sessions with a Peer Support Specialist
  • A peer support specialist is a trained professional with lived experience in mental health, substance use, or trauma recovery who provides non-clinical, personalized support to others facing similar challenges. They are often a vital support for our guests as they stabilize, and can often provide much needed accountability outside of a purely clinical setting. 
• 21 participants received client assistance

NE Weidler Village

• In preparation for decommissioning, Sunstone Way staff were able to secure housing placements for 3 participants, with more scheduled in the upcoming months. 

North Portland Rd

• 70 participants received assistance for transportation, either through a rideshare or a provided bus ticket
• 1 participant received job training onsite
• 1 participant received life skills training 
  • Life skills training includes tasks like grocery and meal planning, house keeping, and budgeting. These are essential life skills many participants may not have or have forgotten in their time living outside. Stabilizing individuals in shelter does not only mean providing shelter--it means providing services that ensure a better life long-term. 
• 14 participants received medical care 
• 4 participants received care for their mental health 
• 59 participants received various substance use disorder treatments
  • Treatment options vary depending on the individual. It can include services like counseling, behavioral therapy, or medically assisted treatment.
• 21 participants attended sessions with a Peer Support Specialist

River District Navigation Center 

• 3 participants secured housing
• 1 participant was transferred into a shelter that focuses on medically fragile individuals. 
  • Not every shelter will meet every person's need. Our case managers are often looking at alternative placements where someone may be better able to have their needs met. 
• A highly vulnerable participant with declining cognitive health was moved  into a care facility that can meet her needs effectively.

Reedway 

• 43 participants received assistance for transportation, either through a rideshare or a provided bus ticket
• 2 participants received medical care 
  • This can include visiting any sort of qualified, medical provider. Often, people come into shelter with chronic illness or other physical ailments that have remained untreated because of lack of insurance or other barriers. Our shelter providers work closely with participants to help get them on insurance and connected into medical care. 
• 20 participants received substance use disorder treatment
  • Treatment options vary depending on the individual. It can include services like counseling, behavioral therapy, or medically assisted treatment 

SE Grand Recovery 

• 1 participant received a ticket home.
• 2 participants were referred into detox from shelter. 
  • SE Grand Recovery is a recovery-oriented program. We work regularly with  participants to connect them with further recovery supports while staying in the shelter. 
• 7 participants were transferred to 24/7 Transition Projects shelters
• The shelter averaged around 90% capacity for the month. 

St. Stephen's

• 1 participant received employment

SW Naito Village 

• 4 participants exited to housing this month. The staff at SW Naito wanted to highlight this story of one of those individuals:

  •  Participant received apartment approval and is working on getting furnishing and rent assistance prior to his move in date. Participant has been with us for close to 2 years and is the last individual with this stay length that was struggling with meeting his goals due to severe anxiety and some substance use. Participant has been able to connect with mental health support and received resources for sobriety. He was supported with resume building and finding a job as well as opening up a checking and savings account. Participant is still very anxious but is excited and confident with taking this step as some family is also coming back into town and he will have a place for them to visit.