Multnomah County puts up ‘sleeping pods’ at outdoor homeless shelters
PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV ) -- It's getting colder in Portland, and with temperatures dropping, the Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services knew they had to winterize their outdoor shelters.
Previously, the outdoor camp on Water Avenue in Southeast Portland had several tents set up for tenants until the county provided sleeping pods. Each pod has windows, a bed, shelving, electricity and heat to help keep people warm through the winter months.
The county began putting the structures up Thanksgiving week, and all 100 of them are spread out between three different outdoor shelters in the county. One camp is in Old Town and two in the Central Eastside.
The Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services bought the sleeping pods with money they received from the federal CARES Act. All 100 cost a total of about $700,000.
Marc Jolin is the director of homeless services, and said he knows this is not a permanent housing solution.
"They provide safety, protection from the elements, and a good place to be on a short-term basis, but they're not intended to replace a permanent housing situation," Jolin said. "Our goal, as with every shelter program, is folks have access to this. It's safety off the streets. It's an opportunity to stabilize and work on moving from there onto an apartment and a home of their own, ultimately."
