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Anticipated shelter closures Summer 2026

The Homeless Services Department (HSD) is facing budget reductions for Fiscal Year 2027.

In an effort to rebalance our system and prioritize keeping people housed and connecting individuals with permanent housing, the department has had to make some difficult decisions, namely the closure of several 24/7 adult shelters. 

Declines in funding means we can no longer afford our current system.

The Fiscal Year 2027 budget was adopted on June 5.  It sets out to chart a balanced and sustainable course for the future of homeless services.

  • The budget ensures that none of the roughly 9,000 formerly homeless neighbors supported right now who are living in permanent housing will have to return to the streets.
  • The FY2027 budget calls for a phased closure of 605 adult shelter units and 90 scattered-site shelter vouchers for families.
  • Those reductions, affecting a mix of shelter types, still leave 1,742 County-funded shelter units overall.
Fiscal Year 2027 Balanced Budget
FY2027: Housing and homelessness section

Affected Shelters

The transition to a safe space and not to the streets is a high priority.  HSD is coordinating with shelter operators on setting up a successful transition program. Such a program may include any of the following:

  • Housing placement;
  • Transfer to another shelter; or
  • Referral to an appropriate supportive option, such as treatment.

List of Shelters

Please review the linked directory carefully. Several shelters listed in the Shelter List linked below are scheduled to close during the summer of 2026. Specific closing dates are detailed individually under each affected facility.

List of HSD-funded shelters including closings

What's next?

HSD-funded shelters are closing in several phases

Two shelters in a motel setting are closing by June 30, 2026:

  • Chestnut Tree (Hazelwood in East Portland)
  • Eastside Voluntary Isolation Motel (Madison South in NE Portland)

Four congregate shelters are reducing capacity or closing by August 31, 2026:

  • Bybee Lakes Hope Center (St Johns in NW Portland)
  • Laurelwood (Foster-Powell in SE Portland)
  • River District Navigation Center (Pearl District in NW Portland)
  • Walnut Park Center (King Neighborhood in North Portland)

One addition shelter in a motel setting will be closing by December 31, 2026:

  • Roseway Motel (Parkrose in NE Portland)

Note: Program closure dates are subject to change and may close prior to the date listed. See details below for more specific updates.

Chestnut Tree - Closed

The Chestnut Tree shelter program is now closed and the facility returned to private ownership as a commercial motel.

During the shelter ramp-down, HSD’s Shelter Development Team worked with Chestnut Tree ownership to ensure that vacant rooms were returned to a condition approved by the motel owner. Among those residents transitioning out of Chestnut Tree, there were individuals who exited to permanent housing; to the Gresham Women’s Shelter; to Roseway Motel shelter; reunited with family on a permanent basis; or have gone out of state.

The Eastside Voluntary Isolation Motel (VIMo) - Closed

The VIMo shelter program is now closed and the facility returned to private ownership as a commercial motel.

VIMo offered medically-isolated rooms for individuals with communicable illnesses or temporary acute health conditions residing in our shelter system and those exiting the healthcare system. Stays were term-limited to two weeks.

During closing operations, VIMo staff offered exiting guests food, clothing, and the ability to transfer to another shelter option.

Bybee Lakes Hope Center - Reducing capacity by August 31

Helping Hands has reduced intakes at the Bybee Lakes Hope Center as shelter units turnover, but has not stopped intakes altogether. No one is being asked to leave as a result of the shelter capacity decrease and all attrition is typical for routine operations. The shelter population is steadily declining toward its target of operating 175 shelter units ongoing. That reflects a decrease of 100 units of County-funded shelter relative to FY 2026.

Laurelwood Center - Closed

Transition Projects (TPI) has three shelters closing concurrently. To maintain safe staffing levels, the Laurelwood shelter was prioritized for closure. As of June 30, this shelter was programmatically closed.

TPI worked with shelter participants over several months to transfer them to other 24/7 shelter programs with ongoing funding, such as Willamette Center. At the time of closure, the remaining guests from Laurelwood Center were transferred to River District Navigation Center, Walnut Park and available beds at other TPI shelter sites.

In the coming months, HSD will be working to clear the facility and return the property to its private landowner.

River District Navigation Center - Closing by August 31

River District Navigation Center is continuing to transfer participants into other comparable 24/7 shelter programs or place them into housing as appropriate. In the first 2 weeks of July, 5 individuals exited to a housing destination.

The future use of this facility is yet to be determined. The property is owned by Prosper Portland. For more information, visit the City of Portland’s webpage on the project.

Walnut Park - Closed

Transition Projects (TPI) has three shelters closing concurrently. To maintain safe staffing levels, the Laurelwood shelter was prioritized for closure. As of July 14, this shelter was programmatically closed.

The majority of participants exiting Walnut Park went to other 24/7 shelter programs, left to stay with family, or were placed in housing.

Multnomah County plans to redevelop the Walnut Park Complex to build affordable housing; ground-floor commercial, office, and community spaces; while retaining the Northeast Health Center. Learn more about these plans and read the County Board’s 2025 resolution.

Roseway Motel - Closing by October 31

There are no closure-related updates at this time for the Roseway Motel.

Upon closure, the facility will be returned to private ownership as a commercial motel.