PORTLAND, Ore. — Crews have finished work on Sunderland RV Safe Park, Portland's first outdoor shelter for people living in their RVs, city leaders announced on Friday.
The RV Safe Park is part of the city's short-term shelters program for homeless people, which is supposed to include six Safe Rest Villages.
The site is located on Northeast Sunderland Avenue, and the Portland Bureau of Transportation owns the property. It has the capacity to hold 55 vehicles. People living in the RVs will have access to case managers and on-site mental and behavioral health services.
The Salvation Army was selected to manage the Sunderland RV Safe Park.
"We are excited to have The Salvation Army join our program as shelter operators for the City’s first RV Safe Park and to start providing safe, legal places for those living in their RVs to park, access services, and begin their paths to housing or whatever is next,” said Commissioner Dan Ryan in a news release. "We are fortunate to have such an experienced partner join our team of shelter operators supporting the Safe Rest Village program."
It's unclear exactly when the site will officially open. The Salvation Army still needs to finalize details with Multnomah County's Joint Office of Homeless Services before people can move in.
"We are pleased to continue to work closely with city leadership in an effort to ensure we are able to provide a safe, healthy and orderly Safe Park community that focuses on transitioning residents toward long-term housing and programs that guide individuals towards a hopeful future," said Major Bob Lloyd, The Salvation Army’s Portland metro coordinator.
The county's Joint Office of Homeless Services is working to develop additional Safe Park sites.
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