The Madras overnight shelter and local partners told a Feb. 5 meeting that limited hours, staff shortages and a recent surge of male clients have pushed the shelter beyond its intended overnight capacity, and they discussed short-term and longer-term steps to manage overflow and safety concerns.

A shelter representative described current hours and staffing as the main constraints: "So we are open from 6 at night to 06:45 in the morning. Except during the winter, we have warming from 7," a shelter spokesperson said. The shelter reported consecutive record nights of occupancy that required using a flex room and cots in the living room area; managers and board members said the building’s size and staffing levels limit overnight expansion.

Shelter operators and city officials also raised public-safety and property-maintenance issues near the shelter’s retaining wall and trash container. Shelter staff asked the city to help with weekly trash removal and to consider moving the container because the current placement collects dumped material and creates a blind spot out of the view of existing exterior cameras. A city official said staff would explore options and suggested moving or adding cameras. "We just need yeah. We should probably need some that Yeah. On the downslope. That's the Yeah. That's the problem," a city representative said when discussing camera coverage.

Officials noted that the Oregon Department of Transportation appears to be mid-process on a transfer of the parcel behind the shelter to the city, which would give additional flexibility for site changes. The shelter said an assault had occurred at the wall area and that improved camera coverage could help identify incidents that occur downhill of the building’s existing cameras.

Shelter leaders and county health partners discussed possibilities for expanding warming/cooling services and the long-term goal of 24/7 sheltering, but multiple speakers emphasized staffing and facility size as limits. Church-based warming shelters and faith-based networks were suggested as near-term partners to supplement overnight capacity; county representatives recommended bringing the issue to the faith-based network meeting to reestablish rotating support.

No formal policy or funding commitment was approved at the meeting. Participants agreed to follow up offline: city staff said they would look at options for trash pickup, container placement and camera additions; shelter staff will provide more details on camera sightlines and capacity needs.

The meeting also included repeated reminders that shelter outreach staff have been active in the field and that coordination and communication between shelter, BestCare and city code enforcement could be improved to identify people in need and to reduce visual impacts to nearby businesses.