Portland Picks Four More Safe Rest Village Locations, Ryan Says

PORTLAND, OR — Portland is focused on building Safe Rest Villages, transitional housing units designed to help move people from the streets into homes of their own. On Thursday, Portland City Council member, Commissioner Dan Ryan announced locations for four new villages.

They will join the two that are already underway at the Sears Armory and the Menlo Park Park & Ride.

Ryan, who first announced last year a plan to build six of the villages, said at the time that they would be open by the end of 2021.

Now he says that all six will be open by the end of this year.

"We are facing a humanitarian crisis on our streets," Ryan sad at a news conference. We are facing a housing crisis. We are facing an unprecedented drug crisis.

"Together, they have knocked us down on our knees."

Ryan, who is up for reelection in the May primary, was joined by other leaders including Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal.

"We are adding options for people who need options." Jayapal said.

Each of the villages will provide shelter for up to 60 people and will provide showers and bathrooms as well as social workers and other mental health services.

Ryan announced the following locations:

• a Portland Housing Bureau property at 6631 North Syracuse Avenue;
• a Portland Bureau of Transportation property at 9827 Northeast Sunderland Avenue;
• a Bureau of Environmental Services property on 10600 block of Southeast Reedway Avenue in Southeast Portland; and
• a privately owned piece of land by Naito Parkway.

Meanwhile, Ryan said that Mayor Wheeler has signed an order smoothing the permitting process for shelters in the city limits.

The order allows the mayor to take property owned or leased by a city bureau and repurpose it for a shelter.