PORTLAND, Ore. -- Right 2 Dream Too homeless campers woke up for the first time Tuesday in their new North Portland location, after more than five years in the heart of downtown Portland.
The new location is at North Thunderbird Way, between the Moda Center and the Willamette River.
This was a move years in the making. Volunteers started moving overnight campers at 9 p.m. Monday, to what they call a "homeless rest stop."
The camp has spots for about 85 people, and it’s open for overnight or daytime sleepers. People who help run the site get to stay in tiny homes. They also have running water and electricity.
Photos: Right 2 Dream Too on the move
“This is definitely not a permanent place, we like to consider ourselves a stepping stone, where people can get access to services, eventually move on to permanent housing,” said Chairwoman Sarah Chandler.
The new site, owned by the Portland Bureau of Transportation, was the last in a series of candidates, suggested by city leaders, homeless advocates and others. Last year, a months-long attempt to move the camp to an industrial site near OMSI was thwarted because of a zoning conflict.
Background: Right 2 Dream Too preparing to leave downtown Portland
Portland's newest homeless site is only meant to be temporary. #Portlandhomeless #R2DTOO @KGWNews pic.twitter.com/FgCT46dkXz
— Eric Patterson (@KGWphotog) July 11, 2017