City of Bend, Shepherd’s House announce warming shelter location

(Update: Adding video, city statement)

The Opportunity Center Foundation becomes Bend's warming shelter

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- As the chilly evenings and nights roll in, the city of Bend and the Shepherd's House have finalized the location for Bend's new warming shelter.

The Opportunity Center Foundation, in midtown Bend off Northeast Second Street, will be remodeled as the new Bend Warming Shelter.

A facility at the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office formerly served as the warming shelter last winter, opening its doors to a maximum of 48 guests a night. At 10,000 square feet, the new warming shelter location will be able to house 50 to 70 people a night, officials said.

The low-barrier warming shelter will be open to singles and also families in need of shelter.

Dave Notari, director of development for the Shepherd's House, told NewsChannel 21 because it will be a low-barrier shelter, anyone is welcome, as long as guests are safe to themselves and others.

"The span of the services will include an evening meal and a takeaway breakfast as well," Notari said Wednesday. "We will also have hygiene services and clothes, and our hope is to be able to bring people in from the community to provide some mental services and counseling. That will be as our services grow."

Notari said the warming shelter is expected to open in either November or December. Right now, the new location is being prepared for cleaning, painting and beds placement.

Notari said they have not finalized the bed layout, but it will comply with CDC COVID-19social distancing requirements.

He said they will allow homeless residents with pets to house them in kennels while staying at the shelter, under strict safety guidelines.

The warming shelter is being funded with the help of the city of Bend and a grant from Housing and Urban Development.

The city issued this news release late Wednesday afternoon:

City of Bend Funds Shepherd’s House Winter Warming Shelter

Post Date:10/28/2020 5:23 PM

The City of Bend will fund the operation of the Shepherd’s House winter warming shelter with $600,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Bend’s CDBG program funds social service organizations that provide assistance for housing and community development activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons. The CDBG program received 15 applications from local organizations that presented their proposals at the May 27, 2020, Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. This year, in alignment with the standard CDBG evaluation criteria, the City placed a special focus on organizations responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

The winter warming shelter will be located at 275 NE 2nd Street and expects to open at the end of November. It will be able to shelter 75 to 100 individuals through March. More details about the operation of the winter warming shelter will be released by Shepherd’s House Ministries later this week.

A seasonal winter warming shelter is made possible through a weather emergency declaration and is one short-term solution to help address homelessness in Bend. Short-term and long-term solutions, like a permanent warming shelter or professionally managed camps, are also necessary to support community members as they transition out of homelessness and into stable housing. For examples of short-, medium- and long-term solutions, see the City Council Work Session presentation from Oct. 21.

Learn more about how the City is addressing homelessness by visiting the Emergency Homelessness Task Force webpage.