Kids love
summer at
Mittleman Jewish
Community
Center camps
– Page 5
Operetta
‘H.M.S. Pinafore’
sets sail for
Multnomah
Village
– Page 4
Casa Vaca
Taqueria opens
in Multnomah
Village
– Page 7
The Southwest Portland Post
Volume No. 24 Issue No. 8
www.swportlandpost.com
Portland, Oregon
Complimentary
June 2016
Mayor Hales decides to close Sears homeless shelter in Multnomah
Menashe family offers temporary housing for
180 people downtown to fill the gap
housing crisis that
has priced people
out of their homes.
“The Menashe family
Mayor Charlie Hales announced
is the embodiment of
May 24 that the city of Portland
the spirit that makes
will be opening an additional
Portland special,”
180 beds in the existing Peace
Hales said. “I thank
Shelter, in downtown Portland.
them for their
The beds will be available for
commitment to the
women and couples. Transition
community, and to
Projects, Inc. is contracted to operate
helping those in need.
the Peace Shelter, which is open
Their generosity
overnight from 6:30 p.m. to 8 a.m.
is incredible.”
The opening comes in time to
Under the state
After convening an emergency meeting, Portland mayor Charlie Hales (far left) decided to the close the Sears
accommodate those who were staying
of emergency, the
homeless shelter on May 31. Also pictured are Stacy Borke, Marc Jolin and Deborah Kafoury.
at the Sears shelter in Multnomah
M a y o r ’ s O f f i c e (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
Village.
continues to identify
Per the mayor ’s commitment to
several more months.
was never fully completed and would
properties for shelters and city-
the neighborhood and an agreement
A
deed
between
the
former
owner,
take at least $10 million to bring it up
sanctioned campsites.
with the federal government, which
the
Department
of
Defense,
and
the
to standards.
Over the past six months, 575 new
deeded the building to the City, the
city
of
Portland
explicitly
said
that
the
“It doesn’t have an egress, the
beds have opened and two new
temporary shelter for women and
former
Sears
Armory
could
only
be
place
is meant to keep people in, and
camping areas were formed. Mayor
couples was scheduled to close May 31.
used
as
an
emergency
shelter
for
six
besides,
it’s 23 miles from Gresham–far
Hales’ goal is to have 800 more shelter
The Peace Shelter is a temporary
months.
The
city
would
have
to
get
from
any
services.” Kafoury explained
beds open by the end of the year.
l o c a t i o n p ro v i d e d b y M e n a s h e
special permission for any extension.
that the state is still paying off the
Properties. Before the expansion, the
A p p ro x i m a t e l y 7 0 n e i g h b o r s
bonds.
Multnomah holds
space provided 80 beds for homeless
packed the room and were joined
Hales, who arrived a bit late,
emergency meeting
men. The Peace Shelter will now provide
by local television and newspaper
explained additional solutions for the
260 overnight spaces for homeless
photographers. “I’m sure you don’t
homeless situation.
men and women. It closes in July.
want
the
residents
to
go
back
out
on
“We budgeted $350 million over the
A n e m e rg e n c y n e i g h b o rh o o d
Initially, the Menashe family offered
the
street,”
Kafoury
said.
next
ten years for affordable housing,
meeting was held May 19 at the
the space after Mayor Hales declared
Kafoury
initially
was
joined
by
and
more money for park rangers
Multnomah Center to discuss the Sears
a state of emergency in housing and
Transition
Projects
manager
Stacy
and
for
the Office of Neighborhood
shelter. Multnomah County Chair
homelessness, answering the call
Borke
and
Marc
Jolin,
the
director
Involvement,”
he said.
Deborah Kafoury began the meeting
for a community-wide response to a
for
A
Home
for
Everyone.
The
panel
As
the
meeting
was happening, it
requesting the shelter stay open for
presented a transitional plan where
was reported that there were six police
the residents would go next.
cars in the lot of the shelter. A tent was
A site on Southeast McLoughlin
set up on the lawn.
Boulevard would house couples and
Police and fire personnel have been
single women, an inner northeast site
constant fixtures at the site, according
near transit lines would house others,
to neighbors. They deal with overdoses
and a third site would provide single
and fights. Safeway has recorded
women a safe place at a downtown
higher levels of theft.
site.
“ We s t H i l l s C h r i s t i a n S c h o o l
“These will not be ready for a
padlocked its gates to their athletic
few months,” explained Jolin, who
field,” reported a woman who used to
was hired by the county to provide
walk her dog on the track.
housing solutions. “We have been
Comments varied from person to
working on the details.”
person, depending on the proximity
“We’ve never done this before,”
to the site. Some community members
confessed Kafoury. “We don’t do
have packed sack lunches and served
shelters.”
up occasional dinners.
Wapato (the $58 million county jail
Neighborhood House executive
that never opened) was brought up as
director Rick Nitti said that out of
a solution as it was six months earlier.
compassion neighbors should give
“First of all,” Kafoury explained,
the Sears homeless shelter three more
“the
decision
to
build
Wapato
didn’t
months.
The former Sears Armory building has served as a homeless shelter for the past six months.
(Post file photo by Erik Vidstrand)
happen on my watch. The building
(Continued on Page 3)
By Erik Vidstrand and Don Snedecor
The Southwest Portland Post
This could be a banner month for your business
Yes you can...buy a 4-color banner ad on the front page of the
Southwest Portland Post. Call Don Snedecor at 503-244-6933
or email ads@multnomahpost.com for details.
Deadline for July is June 20.