Women's shelter slated to open in Portland this fall
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Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
A new overnight emergency shelter for women experiencing homelessness is set to open this fall in Northwest Portland.
Why it matters: The shelter, run by the people in charge of Blanchet House, is a desperately needed refuge for women who have few places to turn, advocates said.
Catch up quick: The shelter, at Northwest 17th Avenue and Northwest Lovejoy in the Slabtown neighborhood, will be called Bethanie's Room in honor of Bethanie Johnson, a former meal guest at Blanchet House who was killed in a hit-and-run accident in 2024, when she was 41.
Between the lines: Scott Kerman, director of Blanchet House, said that before a few dozen beds opened recently, there were no overnight emergency shelters for women on the city's west side.
- Women on the street face especially difficult challenges, Kerman told Axios, including sexual assault, violence and sleep deprivation.
- Bethanie's Room will be located near other service providers like Rose Haven and Central City Concern, which provide day services, housing support and medical care.
Friction point: Some neighbors are concerned, though, and an online petition to halt the development of the shelter had garnered more than 100 signatures as of Monday afternoon.
- At a community meeting last month, local residents said they were particularly concerned about what seemed like a lack of plan, and they cited worries about trash, tent camps and drug use.
- "It seems to be just a grand experiment that is being injected into our neighborhood in the middle of the night," said Todd Zarnitz, president of the Northwest District Association, per KGW.
What they're saying: "They have a well-earned skepticism," Kerman said. "We're going to do everything we can to earn that trust and confidence."
The fine print: Though the facility will be privately funded, Kerman said the city backs their efforts, and the mayor's office said in a statement to Axios that it would be "supporting public safety initiatives as the shelter opens."
What's next: Kerman said Blanchet House officials are still working with an architect and contractor — and have more community meetings planned — but hope to have the facility up and running by October.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to include Bethanie Johnson's last name and age, and to give her cause of death as a hit-and-run accident (not a traumatic brain injury).