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Winter shelter leaders tell Depoe Bay council their programs kept people alive, seek continued support
Summary
Representatives from Health Muse Services updated the Depoe Bay City Council on their 2023–24 winter shelter season, reporting no hypothermia deaths, 242 unique people served, and expanded medical and navigation services; they asked the council to continue funding and logistical support.
At a Depoe Bay City Council meeting, Chantel Estes of Health Muse Services told the council the organization’s winter shelters prevented deaths and helped unhoused residents move toward housing stability.
Estes said the program served 242 unique people in the most recent season and reported zero deaths from hypothermia in 2023 after 10 hypothermia deaths in the county in 2022. "Our mission is to save lives one night at a time," she said, describing expanded onsite medical outreach, navigation, staff training and volunteer development.
The presentation emphasized medical partnerships. Paul Colburn, the shelter physician, said the shelter’s on-site care reduced emergency room visits and helped reconnect guests with primary care. "We tried to keep as many people out of the emergency room as we can," Colburn said, and described arranging escorted primary-care appointments for patients.
Estes described the shelter model as one of low barriers and dignity: no paperwork requirements, pet support, hotel placements for families and an emphasis on trauma-informed training. She said volunteers and staff received training in de-escalation, mental-health first aid, harm reduction and human-trafficking awareness.
Program demographics cited in the presentation included 45 guests age 50 or older (oldest 83), roughly 10 percent veterans (down from 11 percent the year prior), 58 medical clients, and services for 58 animals. Estes also said the program housed 39 people in transitional or permanent housing and provided 48 referrals to behavioral-health and substance-use providers.
Estes closed by asking the council to continue the support provided last season. Council members thanked the presenters; the meeting record shows no formal vote tied to the presentation during the meeting.
The council packet and the presenters’ slides were discussed in public session; attendees asked questions and offered thanks but no formal funding decision was made at the meeting.
Looking ahead, Estes said the program plans to expand medical support, transportation and services for older and medically vulnerable guests, and to pursue additional volunteer recruitment and grants.
