50 minutes in the cold: Waiting for a bed at Portland’s newest overnight women’s shelter

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday evening, about 11 people were lined up along the wall of the Salvation Army’s newly reopened overnight women’s shelter in Old Town. It was 43 degrees and dark.

Most of the women were huddled in big coats against the chill, hands in pockets, noses in collars. One lay on the cement sidewalk, her head propped on her backpack, her eyes closed. Another walked back and forth, presumably to keep warm, a blanket slung over her shoulders.

This scene is one that could soon repeat itself across the city with far more frequency if Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has his way. Opening dozens of overnight-only shelters across the city in an ambitious attempt to quickly end unsheltered homelessness in Portland was his hallmark campaign promise. It helped him into office with 59% of the vote after 20 rounds of vote counting under the city’s first election using ranked-choice voting.

And, less than seven days into his term, Wilson had already notched a win by opening two overnight shelters with a combined 200 beds. Both are run by the Salvation Army and funded jointly by the city and the county…

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Photo by Lillian Mongeau Hughes.