Portland Marks Over 100,000 Nights of Safe Sleep Through City Emergency Overnight Shelters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2026

Portland Marks Over 100,000 Nights of Safe Sleep Through City Emergency Overnight Shelters

The City of Portland announced a significant milestone in its ongoing response to homelessness: participants in the City's Emergency Overnight Shelter program have collectively experienced 100,000 nights of safe sleep.

This achievement reflects the City's continued commitment to providing life-saving shelter during the most dangerous times of the year, particularly throughout Portland's cold, wet winter months.

Emergency Overnight Shelters are designed to meet urgent, seasonal needs by expanding capacity when conditions pose heightened risks to people experiencing homelessness. Over the past two months alone, more than 2,100 unique participants each month have accessed these sites. Overnight shelter use demonstrates both the scale of need and the impact of the City's targeted shelter strategy.

"Emergency overnight shelters save lives," said Mayor Keith Wilson. "When temperatures drop and rain intensifies, the risk of hypothermia, illness, and even death rises sharply for people living outside. By intentionally scaling up our shelter capacity during the coldest and wettest parts of the year, we are ensuring that thousands of our neighbors have a warm, safe place to rest. Reaching 100,000 nights of safe sleep is not just a number, it represents lives protected, dignity restored, and a community of providers stepping up when it matters most."

Provider Partnerships Making a Difference

Skyler Brocker-Knapp, Director of Portland Solutions, explained, "this milestone would not have been achieved without our emergency overnight operating partners from the Salvation Army, Agape Village, CityTeam Portland, and Transition Projects. The City of Portland is grateful for their work and expertise in supporting our neighbors experiencing homelessness."

"Shelter can be the turning point in someone's life. We are seeing more people come through our shelter and choose to enter long-term recovery, and this partnership is helping make that pathway possible," said Lance Orton, CityTeam Portland Executive Director. "At CityTeam Portland, many of our staff, including our shelter manager and all eight shelter coordinators, are graduates of our own residential recovery program. That lived experience reminds us every day that a safe place to sleep can become the first step toward lasting recovery and stable housing."

Major Maggie Laubach, Divisional Secretary for Portland Metro Social Services at the Salvation Army, noted, "The Salvation Army is honored to partner with the City of Portland to provide a safe and dignified place for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. For 140 years, we have been committed to meeting human needs without discrimination in the Portland Metro area."

"We know that we are providing life-saving support to our community. As a provider of family emergency overnight care, we see the relief in the faces of parents as they bring their children in for a safe, warm night of sleep," said Matt Huff, Executive Director of Agape Village.

Nicky Ferguson, Vice President of Shelters at Transition Projects, said, "I love this work, and I'm deeply grateful to be part of it. I hope people realize how important a good night's sleep, or a safe place to return to, can be in helping someone begin to move forward. SE Grand Recovery Shelter offers that stability. After being open for a few months, we're already seeing positive outcomes such as people securing employment, going to the doctor, and starting to consider options for their future. We are witnessing firsthand how a safe place to sleep can change the trajectory of someone's life."

The Emergency Overnight Shelter program is part of a broader City effort to provide compassionate, responsive solutions to homelessness. By focusing on accessibility, safety, and demand, the program helps bridge critical gaps while longer-term housing solutions are pursued.

Portland remains committed to expanding shelter access, strengthening partnerships, and investing in sustainable pathways out of homelessness.

Learn More About City Shelters and View Shelter Data

For more information about the City of Portland's Emergency Overnight Shelter program, visit www.portland.gov/Shelter-Services.

To view additional data about the City Shelter Services program, visit www.portland.gov/shelterdata.

Media Contact:

Robert Layne
Senior Communication Strategist
City of Portland - Portland Solutions
[email protected] | 971-438-7943