Year-Round Shelter

To address the community's critical need for more shelter space and safe sleeping options, the City acquired property at the corner of SW 17th Avenue and TV Highway in the winter of 2021 to become the home of Hillsboro's first year-round shelter for adults experiencing homelessness. At the time of purchase, the property included ample greenspace, parking areas, and two vacant buildings.

Why was this location chosen?

• When the property was purchased, existing structures on the site had been vacant for many years. Revitalizing the property will increase visual appeal while onsite staffing and services bring expanded security and debris management to the location.
  
  
• The site offers immediate access to frequently serviced bus line, employment opportunities, food, and medical care, as well as close access to Washington County Community Action and Open Door Housing Works Day Center.

Early Operational and Programming Details

• The site will will be a year-round shelter for single adults.
• There will be 24/7 staffing and management.
• Shelter will offer onsite housing navigation and support services.
• Once open, the site will be operated by a partnering service provider and funded through Washington County's allocation of the Supportive Housing Services Measure.

Read the latest project updates below.

In the fall of 2022, the City of Hillsboro, Washington County, and Open Door HousingWorks worked swiftly to provide temporary emergency shelter on the SW 17th Avenue property while the year-round shelter project moved forward.

During two rounds of operation, the Safe Rest Pods on SW 17th Avenue served 196 community members and connected 178 guests to housing assessments before closing at the end of October 2024 to clear the property for construction.

Washington County is storing the portable shelters while exploring opportunities for future locations.

The City of Hillsboro is grateful to our community partners, Washington County and Open Door HousingWorks, for working together to meet the community’s urgent needs for life-saving shelter and services by providing the temporary Safe Rest Pods on SW 17th Avenue.

Since reopening in December 2023, the Safe Rest Pods served 111 individual guests from 107 households and connected all guests to housing assessments. The temporary shelter closed at the end of October to clear the property for construction.

Read our latest news article to learn more.

New artist renderings published in July 2024 showcase the updated shelter design and include:

While the shelter's first design concepts were shared in January 2023, plans were updated significantly under the design-build contract that aims to keep the project within budget as costs for labor and materials fluctuate.

Design & timeline are subject to change as the project evolves.

The Safe Rest Pods will close at the end of October as we prepare the site for year-round shelter construction.

The portable pod shelters are owned by Washington County and will be moved to a new location to be determined by Washington County. Open Door HousingWorks will safely transition guests to an alternate shelter or housing.

With support from Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Senator Jeff Merkley, and Senator Ron Wyden, the project received $850,000 in Community Project Funding through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.

We are grateful for the continued efforts of our elected officials!

The City of Hillsboro continues to explore options to help meet the total project costs.

After a competitive Request for Proposals process, project partners have selected Walsh Construction & Holst Architecture as the shelter's design-build team.

This collaborative contract will help us keep the project within budget as prices for labor and materials fluctuate.

Read our March 2024 news article to learn more.

Since spring 2022, the City has engaged the community to help shape the design & operation of the future Year-Round Shelter.

42 community members participated in the spring 2022 focus groups, and 455 respondents completed the online survey, including:

• People with lived experiences of homelessness
• Homelessness service providers
• Neighboring residents and businesses
• Dairy Creek Park visitors
• People who live, work, learn, and volunteer in Hillsboro

Feedback will inform shelter design & amenities, selection of a shelter operator, elements of the shelter's Good Neighbor Agreement, and ongoing community engagement.

See the Spring 2024 Community Feedback Report for the detailed results or read our latest news article for a summary of top themes.