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.

City leaders and staff joined partners Washington County and Metro on Monday, March 3 to celebrate breaking ground on Hillsboro’s future year-round shelter for adults experiencing homelessness.

“The City of Hillsboro is committed to supporting efforts that provide compassionate care and pathways to housing while also addressing the impacts of homelessness on businesses and our community,” said Mayor Beach Pace.

“We are grateful to have support from Washington County and Metro as we make this investment to meet immediate needs and foster long-term change.

Read the groundbreaking news article to learn more.

Read the latest project updates below.

Construction activity is underway on SW 17th Avenue near Winco & Dairy Creek Park as the City of Hillsboro and Washington County work to create Hillsboro’s first permanent year-round shelter for adults experiencing homelessness.

Construction activity is underway on SW 17th Avenue near Winco & Dairy Creek Park as the City of Hillsboro and Washington County work to create Hillsboro’s first permanent year-round shelter for adults experiencing homelessness.

Read the construction announcement to learn more.

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.