February 3, 2016
Page 5
photo by a ngela t aylor for h uman s olutions
Mayor Charlie Hales (from left), Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury and Andy Miller, executive director at Human Solutions, celebrate Monday’s
opening of a new shelter for families experiencing homelessness at the site of a former strip club at 16015 S.E. Stark St.
Family Shelter Opens in Former Strip Club
Human
Solutions
revamps space
A new center for families
experiencing
homelessness
opened Monday at the site of
the former Black Cauldron
strip club at 16015 S.E. Stark
St.
The Human Solutions Fam-
ily Center will provide emer-
gency shelter in addition to a
wide range of services to fam-
ilies experiencing homeless-
ness.
“We want the name to re-
lect the fact that families will
have access to many services
to help them get back on their
feet. Shelter is just a part of
what we do,” said Andy Mill-
er, executive director at Human
Solutions.
The
7,400-square-foot
building underwent extensive
renovations in just 10 weeks’
time and will provide beds for
up to 130 adults and children
in homeless families starting
tonight. It will be open year-
round, 24 hours per day – the
irst such center in Multnomah
County.
The site has many fami-
ly-friendly amenities, includ-
ing a full kitchen, showers,
laundry facilities a computer
lab, and play areas for children.
Human Solutions purchased
the new facility with funding
from Multnomah County and
the non-proit Housing Devel-
opment Center.
Holst Architecture donated
design services for the new
center and Colas Construction,
a contractor from the local Af-
rican-American community,
completed the renovation.
The Family Center is open
to all families in need of shelter
and never turns a family away
due to lack of space. When the
center reaches its 130-person
capacity, Human Solutions ar-
ranges overlow sleeping space
at other locations.
“Thanks to Multnomah
County our partners and vol-
unteers, this center will never
have to turn away a homeless
family to sleep outside,” Miller
said.
The new center provides 30
percent more beds to meet a
surging need for family shelter.
Miller noted that “mass evic-
tions, rent increases and other
forces of displacement are hit-
C ontinued on p age 8