Collaborations with shelters in and around Kenton that support our unhoused neighbors.
Supporting Unhoused Neighbors
Neighborhood Collaboration
The presence of shelters in a residential neighborhood can raise questions about safety, impact on local businesses, and quality of life. KNA acknowledges these concerns while recognizing that shelters provide essential, life-saving services.
Our work focuses on creating space for honest dialogue, addressing issues as they arise, and finding solutions that support both housed and unhoused neighbors.
Good Neighbor Agreements
The Kenton Neighborhood Association works collaboratively with shelters and service providers to support unhoused neighbors while addressing the concerns of housed residents. Through Good Neighbor Agreements, KNA helps facilitate communication between shelters and the community, share updates and shelter needs, and ensure that both unhoused neighbors and longtime residents can thrive in Kenton.
Neighborhood Shelters
-
The village was created through partnerships with local government, nonprofit, and educational institutions: Catholic Charities of Oregon, City of Portland, Joint Office of Homeless Services,Village Coalition,Prosper Portland,Almar Contracting, Portland State University School of Architecture’s Center for Public Interest Design, Catlin Gabel InvenTeam, Kenton Neighborhood Association, and dozens of other community businesses, organizations, and individuals.
The village is made up of 19 sleeping pods (no larger than 8 by 12 feet), designed and built in late 2016 as part of the Partners on Dwelling (POD) Initiative, which brought together a citywide coalition of architects, housing advocates, and houseless individuals.
A fully operational kitchen and shower facilities, installed in customized shipping containers, have been added to the site, with water delivery and garbage service being provided. A community garden has been planted so that residents and neighbors can collaborate and interact as the women make the village their home.
Through Catholic Charities of Oregon, formerly houseless women are receiving access to services including case management, employment assistance, access to legal and financial services, mental and physical health care, and support creating and implementing a personalized plan to transition to permanent housing by the time they leave the village.
-
Located at the former Kenton Hotel on North Interstate Avenue, this 17-bed shelter serves veterans experiencing homelessness who are in recovery from substance use disorders.
Operated by Do Good Multnomah, the shelter provides 24/7 support including case management, certified drug and alcohol counseling, housing navigation, daily meals, and transportation to appointments. The recovery-focused program helps veterans build skills and community connections on their path to stable housing.
The shelter will open in early 2026 and a Good Neighbor Agreement is currently under development.
-
Arbor Lodge Shelter provides 106 beds including 88 congregate beds and 18 tiny home village shelters. Operated by Do Good Multnomah, this 24/7 reservation-only shelter offers health and housing services, including laundry, storage, restrooms, a kitchen, parking, and indoor/outdoor common spaces. The shelter features community-led artwork by local artists.
As part of the Good Neighbor Agreement The Arbor Lodge Shelter Community Advisory Committee (CAC) serves as a collaborative, problem-solving body that maintains communication between the Homeless Services Department, Do Good Multnomah, and the community through both the Arbor Lodge Neighborhood Association and Kenton neighbors.
The volunteers on the CAC regularly share updates about the shelter and their needs.