Mayor Keith Wilson pitches $28.1 million plan to scale emergency nighttime shelters; seeks county partnership

Mayor Keith Wilson told the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners that Portland faces an “overwhelming crisis” of unsheltered homelessness and presented a plan to rapidly expand emergency nighttime shelter capacity as a crisis response.

Wilson said the city proposes a surge model that emphasizes low‑barrier, cost‑efficient nighttime shelters that can “flex up and flex down” with demand, supplemented by day centers, storage and housing navigation. He said the plan is intended to be additive to existing shelter types and not a replacement for 24‑hour shelters, supportive housing or treatment beds.

Key elements Wilson and city staff described: - Target shelter capacity and timing: an initial goal of 3,000 beds across partner efforts, with 1,500 additional nighttime beds the city would flex up to by Dec. 1 and an interim target of about 450 beds by June (the county and city reported roughly 250 beds already stood up at the time of the briefing and 200 emergency beds established in January). - Cost estimates: the city showed an example budget of $28.1 million for the coming fiscal year composed of roughly $15 million for overnight shelter operations, about $12 million for day centers (estimated $55 per guest per day), and roughly $864,000 for storage; the mayor said the biennial total would be approximately $52 million. - Unit costs and staffing: an average operating estimate of about $35 per bed per night for nighttime shelters and a guest‑to‑staff ratio example of 20:1 (the presentation noted that 1,500 beds at that ratio implies about 75 staff positions). - System design: emergency nighttime shelters would use existing buildings (community centers, churches, empty commercial spaces) to reduce capital cost, operate as low‑barrier, trauma‑informed sites, and be paired with day centers offering meals, showers, storage, transportation and connections to behavioral health and housing navigation. - Reunification: the presentation highlighted a goal of compressing reunification timelines (the mayor said the county’s current reunification timeframe can take 14 days and the city wants to enable reunification within hours when a warm handoff exists). - Command structure and partnerships: the city has activated an incident command structure and seeks multiagency coordination (the presentation named Built for Zero/Community Solutions and Rosette Haggerty as partners) and discussed alignment with county outreach, Portland Street Response, Home Forward and other housing providers.

City officials, including Skylar Buckner Knapp, Director of Portland Solutions, described incident‑management tools, surge planning, and an example RFP and listening process with providers. Buckner Knapp said provider feedback included interest in partnering, questions about per‑night costs, and concerns about connections to housing and transportation.

During the board's Q&A, commissioners pressed for more data and coordination. Commissioner Singleton asked for clarity on reunification and raised contract and RFP concerns for county providers, including a request that the jurisdictions resolve contract and access issues before longer‑term system changes. Commissioner Grama Edwards and others emphasized that the city's surge plan must be additive to the county's existing network and raised concerns about capacity east of the city. Commissioner Moyer and others stressed the need for regional coordination with Metro and the state and asked how the plan intersects with housing production and code barriers for converting buildings to housing.

Several board members, including Commissioner Brim Edwards, urged caution in how the plan addresses people with severe persistent mental illness and civil‑commitment pathways, warning that involuntary or secure residential placements are not a viable substitute for voluntary treatment or permanent housing and raising questions about appropriate treatment capacity and funding sources.

No formal board vote was taken on the mayor's proposal at this briefing. Mayor Wilson and city staff repeatedly requested county partnership on implementation, funding and behavioral health supports and invited county staff to coordinate on the homelessness response steering and oversight committee.

Ending: The briefing concluded with commissioners and the mayor agreeing to continue coordinated work through the homelessness response structures and to pursue additional data and budget discussions as the city and county develop formal budget proposals.