Bethlehem Inn’s new family shelter nearly ready
The Bethlehem Inn is in the final phase of construction of its brand-new living facility.
On Monday, NewsChannel 21 took a tour of the new building, which is set to be complete on June 13.
Ten families in Central Oregon will soon have a roof over their heads, thanks to the massive project
It’s been one year since crews broke ground on the two-story living facility, and when it’s complete, the building will house 10 families and have office space for administrators.
There will also be a fully equipped kitchen for families and singles, a play area for kids and a family eating area.
The expansion is welcome relief for many Central Oregonians. Gwenn Wysling, executive director of the Bethlehem Inn, said the region continues to see an increase in homelessness.
“So we’re not seeing the needs subsiding. In fact, we continue to see folks that are just having a tough time finding affordable housing and living-wage jobs that can help them survive and live in the area,” Wysling said.
Central Oregon’s Homeless Leadership Coalition did its latest count in January and found that nearly 1,500 people are either experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Bend had the highest number of homeless individuals in the area, followed by Redmond.
According to Wysling, the shelter allows people to focus on getting back on their feet.
“So when people are here at Bethlehem Inn, we take that weight off of them and they have that ability to have a safe place, have their meals taken care of and know they have somebody to work with,” Wysling said.
Families approved to live in the Bethlehem Inn’s new facility are chosen based on need, timing and other housing options.
Deschutes County homeless outreach coordinator Colleen Thomas said the more shelter options offered, the better.
“I think that we need shelter year-around and so having the expansion of the Bethlehem Inn is great because that just allows us to serve people year-around in the best way we can as a community,” Thomas said.
Once the family-living facility is complete, Phase 2 of the project — a big upgrade to the facility for single people — will begin. The Bethlehem Inn hopes to raise another $500,000 before breaking ground.
