Portland’s newest Safe Rest Village set to open soon

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Portland’s Safe Rest Villages are touted as spaces, where people experiencing houselessness can live until they get back on their feet. Each SRV will have a different operator. On Thursday, non-profit All Good Northwest, who will be operating the Multnomah SRV, received the keys.

The program is funded by a federal grant, The American Rescue Plan Act. The biggest hurdle of this project was finding the locations to accept these homes. The Multnomah SRV is one of six across Portland to be open this year.

1. Menlo Park SRV (12202 E Burnside St)
2. Multnomah SRV (2731 SW Multnomah Blvd.)
3. NE Sunderland SRV – RV Safe Park site (9827 NE Sunderland Ave.)
4. NW Naito SRV (1100 block of NW Naito)
5. Peninsula Crossing SRV (6631 N. Syracuse St.)
6. SE Reedway SRV (Two blocks east of SE 104th Ave.)

“To know that people will be inside and have a sense of hope,” says All Good Northwest Director, Andy Goebel. “Our entire goal as an organization is to see people eventually independent have self-advocacy housed if that’s their choice.”

Each space is 64 sq. ft. and will be home to 30 people. It’s tidy but there’s room for a bed, an ac unit, and high ceilings. The site will have 30 beds and shared showers, a kitchen, and even a garden. The site will be staffed around the clock and will have professionals to help with mental health and substance abuse, and will be able to help reconnect family and help them achieve their goals.

There has been concerned neighbors, but Goebel says with the 24-hour staff, they’ve had success. And volunteers have gone out of their way to make them feel welcome.

“I appreciate the concern and the interest but I’m excited for this to be a resource in the neighborhood eventually what we typically fine when we do these kinds of projects as I consider neighbors can become supportive neighbors when they realize what a resource it is for their neighborhood,” says Goebel.

“We want to make very sure that they understand that there are a lot of us who are very happy to have them in our neighborhood and that we welcome them and that will do whatever we can to help them succeed,” says Volunteer, Sandy Stienecker.

A move-in date has not been decided just yet, but it will be in June. The next location to start construction will be Menlo Park.

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