[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6595842,"mediaKeyId","3022521-71d20b708ba5106cc6209e4d9fcb2709","parentId",3022521,"title","Tualatin parks-and-trails bond: Veterans Plaza opens; Nyberg Creek Trail construction slated for summer","audioSeconds",585,"startMs",2989000,"endMs",3574000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3022521-71d20b708ba5106cc6209e4d9fcb2709&start=2989&end=3574","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3022521-71d20b708ba5106cc6209e4d9fcb2709/thumbnail_2989000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6595842/Tualatin/Washington-County/Oregon/Tualatin-parks-and-trails-bond-Veterans-Plaza-opens-Nyberg-Creek-Trail-construction-slated-for-summer","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595842-1b415960ed6b3ab6b9701a66f6cb1071/orig.mp4?Expires=1772359039&Signature=Y84gOPvmLJ7enc-Gd2uDiJsQ5-~d-nOdqaHg48x6FKDwvsVxb0tIvR0eTYzMS7qvynwh3ESlJf~G4KMaegJOxg7XkECxxu0wy1Enax~~gkwLfGd8SGgapDTGVG9dP5pktOg-Bn~aK9kn7frtJfmc-ip2VerIFe67yjTmz0iOIotoJJl3VKz-VTbWw1XEyjIFhTyaHm7ie2mLIEo7u~sQreErNKmn0EJ10v06~LbxSpju7jHfvPVsbqfmEQ39otyHbS8~MMVwDVw46KVR4GwwsLWbTAH7NOeUP7xuzioehxcxyK5e1kBzpQdae-hEADuOixwgM6QLk-aFuLAXWCQJ1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Tualatin, OR","date","2025-04-16T16:34:50.663Z","article","Rich Mueller, Parks Planning and Development Manager, and project staff updated the Tualatin City Council on April 14 about progress on the city’s parks-and-trails bond and related utility‑fee projects.

Mueller said about 50% of the bond investments are complete, with roughly $9 million spent to date on upgrades to existing parks, natural‑area acquisitions and play‑equipment improvements. “We’re really trying to get the word out,” he told the council, noting signage at Veterans Plaza and other completed sites.

Veterans Plaza and upcoming ribbon cutting

Project manager Cara Hein described Veterans Plaza — a recently completed memorial and gathering space with a reflection area, Story Circle and military emblems along a concourse — and announced a ribbon cutting for Memorial Day at 9:30 a.m.; Joe Lipscomb’s daughter is scheduled to speak. Hein said artwork is scheduled for installation at the end of the month and that a community brick program will continue to accept orders year‑round.

Nyberg Creek Trail and riverfront park planning

Hein said the Nyberg Creek Trail’s first phase is a three‑quarter‑mile, eight‑foot‑wide concrete trail from SW 60th (60th? referenced in presentation) to Saggart planned to begin construction at the start of summer. “We decided to go with concrete because it lasts longer. I think it lasts about 50 years,” Hein said, explaining the choice of material.

The bond also funds acquisition of a six‑acre parcel next to the Juanita Pohl Center (referred to in presentation as the Juanita Pohl Center) intended as the future riverfront park; staff said conceptual designs will be coordinated with downtown core planning so the park and nearby streetscape integrate.

Athletic fields, Las Casitas and other utility‑fee work

An initial community engagement and site feasibility study for athletic‑field investments was completed in 2024, staff said; the city is developing an internal process to prioritize amenities and serve the whole community rather than narrowly defined user groups. Las Casitas Park is under construction with a proposed playground, shade structure, half‑court basketball and a splash pad; staff expect construction to finish in winter 2025–26.

Hein said the Basalt Creek Parkland acquisition has secured 17 acres and that smaller utility‑fee projects such as stair replacements at Victoria Woods Trail and surfacing work at Woodrose Trail are either complete or out to bid. The parks facility assessment funded by the utility fee was completed in late 2024 and will be presented to council at a later date.

Budget update and schedule

Mueller told council the three completed project categories remain within budget; the Nyberg Creek Trail, riverfront access and athletic‑field investments remain in design and procurement. Staff expect remaining funds from the trail project to assist the city engineering work tied to a West‑of‑I‑5 water‑quality facility so designs align ahead of future trail extensions.

What council heard

Councilors praised the pace of work and community engagement and asked for construction timelines and additional outreach on the riverfront-park design. Councilors also asked staff to maintain coordination with regional partners where projects intersect larger efforts such as the downtown core plan and preserve next steps for athletic‑field siting and amenities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Work Session - April 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Parks staff reported that half of bond investments are complete, including Veterans Plaza and multiple playground upgrades, and outlined remaining work: Nyberg Creek Trail, riverfront park planning, athletic‑field assessments and Las Casitas construction.","taxTitle","Tualatin, Washington County, Oregon","taxId",54237,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6595847,"Tualatin hears homelessness update as county outreach workers report rising need and new shelter resources",3202,46000,3248000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3022521-71d20b708ba5106cc6209e4d9fcb2709&start=46&end=3248","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3022521-71d20b708ba5106cc6209e4d9fcb2709/thumbnail_46000.jpg","/articles/6595847/Tualatin/Washington-County/Oregon/Tualatin-hears-homelessness-update-as-county-outreach-workers-report-rising-need-and-new-shelter-resources","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595847-d520f2d96bede69d1b1fe3e41784839c/orig.mp4?Expires=1772359039&Signature=hcP27DZ8Ru1hzMenTYZrYxYLkBH-UncDYrj-7iKbwUo-GHak8JernPGEpgiNrkAaJLaVYu1pOKnOAxKRK5SF6Db2Fk6WoXSVmgmsM0dD4iwm~n6-kGqaFq5uOHPDOctvLvF~z20-MCHHpTx10tDJTTLLJkcHu718F0hVSt9n4Sf8JOUfXzoiKgJK4OfqjHLj31vmfzdmtuUSO72Nc511HkQUlG7cq6Wpo~~EOP1tYd6ymijAlFEZp34f7p5iFJQIs7MLLwzyaInq8je~xLva0OATp7~GgC8NCyb6zviQG9y6KkY-Bbx4YoshfH2ccQArr1tGezW8R3NhbvhzU4b7Rw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Megan Cohen, the city–county homelessness liaison for southeast Washington County, briefed the Tualatin City Council on April 14 about outreach, data trends and resources serving people experiencing homelessness in Tualatin.

Cohen said housing costs and limited local services are driving higher counts and made the case for local referral pathways: “Street Outreach is working with folks who are, literally unsheltered,” she told council, noting the teams focus on people living in cars, on the street or in tents.

Cohen and outreach staff described how the system operates locally and the limits of existing data. The presenters said point-in-time and McKinney-Vento counts undercount the population because they rely on self-identification and broad geographic aggregates. Cohen said 31% of Tualatin households live at 50% of area median income or below — roughly $41,000 for a family of four — and that the city currently has about 720 regulated affordable units but would need an estimated 4,300 additional units to meet local need. She noted online rental searches show very few available low-cost units: “If you go on Zillow, and look for units that are $1,500 or less in Tualatin right now, you’ll get 4 units,” Cohen said.

Outreach model and pathways

Lucy Simmons, outreach coordinator at Home Plate Youth Services, and Caleb Peterson, street outreach coordinator at Just Compassion, described outreach as a long, relationship-driven process that begins with trust-building and basic needs. Lucy Simmons said Home Plate works with youth ages 12 to 24 and that Home Plate’s programs worked with 969 youth in 2024 and its outreach team with about 500 of those young people countywide.

Peterson said outreach teams use a central intake process and a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) profile to keep people visible to referral sources. He described the phase 1 assessment used to screen for housing options and disabilities and to determine eligibility for programs such as rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing and ARLA vouchers. “Street outreach is a long relational process,” Peterson said. He explained that assessments include questions on length of homelessness, disability status, medical needs, debts, justice involvement and domestic violence to identify appropriate referrals.

Shelter, safe parking and other resources

Presenters said recent additions in the region include a newly opened 60‑bed shelter in Tigard, an expansion of safe‑parking programs for people living in vehicles, and three “e‑beds” at the Tigard shelter that law enforcement can use for direct drop‑offs. Cohen said outreach services are contracted and funded through Washington County Supportive Housing Services (SHS) and that those county systems are central to access for most programs.

Teams described long waits for noncongregate shelter and permanent housing placements, and said it can take months to years for a household to move from unsheltered status into stable housing. Peterson warned that HMIS profiles must stay active with service transactions to keep referrals flowing; otherwise a record may look resolved and referrals can stop.

Case examples and coordination

Simmons and Peterson gave specific examples of outreach work in Tualatin: a local young person who sleeps on public transit and has been engaged by Home Plate for six months; and two connected households living in vehicles that included six minors and three adults, where coordinated work with Just Compassion, Home Plate, the Department of Human Services, animal services and Tualatin Police resulted in one household moving into family shelter.

Peterson also described a man he encountered who had been homeless in Tualatin for more than 14 years, had no identification and was not on HMIS. He said another person he had worked with who had long-term visible homelessness died during the winter before outreach could get him into shelter — an outcome Peterson said highlighted the need for persistent outreach and referral pathways.

Data, inclement weather and policy notes

Cohen said Portland State University now manages the regional point-in-time count and that draft data would likely be available in early summer, with final numbers later. She highlighted four inclement‑weather activations early in the winter and said coordinated transportation to shelters during activations — including library staff and police notifying outreach teams — was a critical local practice.

Cohen warned that Washington County SHS faces cuts in eviction-prevention funding under the county’s current SHS structure and that staff expect to see impacts this summer as those protections decline.

How to request outreach

Cohen asked council to direct residents who want to report someone for outreach to showtheway.org, the county’s centralized reporting tool; referrals entered there are routed to the appropriate outreach team and can trigger same‑day responses. She said Tualatin Library staff and the local community services officer at Tualatin Police are regular referral sources.

What council heard

Councilors thanked outreach staff and recognized the scale of the problem. Several councilors emphasized the need for services to accompany housing investments. Cohen and outreach staff avoided policy prescriptions but urged more local access points — drop‑in services such as laundry, showers and food distribution — that serve as first contact points for people who then can be linked to assessment and housing referrals.

The presenters left council with a short list of near-term items: expect early point-in-time drafts around June; continue use of the county’s Show the Way referral site for local reports; and that the new Tigard shelter, e‑beds and safe‑parking expansions are available resources for adults while youth‑specific services remain provided by Home Plate and partners.","County homelessness liaison and outreach teams told the Tualatin City Council that housing unaffordability and cuts to eviction-prevention funding are increasing need. Presenters described outreach practices, recent successes placing families and youth, and new regional shelter and safe-parking capacity.","actionData","errors"]

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Tualatin parks-and-trails bond: Veterans Plaza opens; Nyberg Creek Trail construction slated for summer

Tualatin hears homelessness update as county outreach workers report rising need and new shelter resources