70 Beds of Supportive Transitional Housing to Open in NE Portland

As COVID-19 continues to worsen Oregon’s affordable housing and homelessness crises, the need to act on evidence-based solutions has never been greater.

Thankfully, hope is on the horizon.

CCC has acquired a former 70-room motel at 5019 NE 102nd Avenue, which we will convert into safe, temporary homes for people in the early stages of recovery.

Transitional housing for those who need it most

Referrals for the Hotel will primarily come from CCC’s substance use disorder services and recovery programs — including two of CCC’s culturally specific programs, Puentes and Imani Center. These key programs serve our Latinx and African American communities, who are more likely to experience homelessness due to systemic injustices.

Additionally, the Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA) will refer clients for up to 15 of the rooms, making more recovery housing available to Native American community members.

“NARA is honored and so excited to have this opportunity to serve and to further develop our long-standing partnership with Central City Concern,” says NARA CEO Jackie Mercer. “We are very grateful to be able to offer housing and recovery supports to help Native Americans, who as a community, experience extremely high rates of homelessness.”

A profound need for creative solutions

Graphic courtesy of the Oregon Community Foundation.

The Hotel is part of Oregon’s “Project Turnkey.” Funded with a $65 million award from the state of Oregon’s Emergency Board, Project Turnkey is supporting the acquisition of 18-20 motels located throughout Oregon — about 1,000 units of shelter state-wide.  

In addition to the $7 million awarded through Project Turnkey, CCC also received $300,000 from long-time partner Legacy Health and $365,000 through Measure 110.

Walking one’s own path

Portland has very few housing options for people early in their recovery journeys, when they are particularly vulnerable to slipping through the cracks after exiting intensive residential treatment. But CCC knows from decades of experience that combining safe, stable housing with wraparound services is a recipe for success.  

Every resident at the Hotel will choose their own unique path toward recovery. This could be a combination of intensive case management, medication supported treatment or group counseling. Clients will also be able to transition to permanent housing. These low-barrier entry points will be a hallmark for the Hotel.  

“CCC is thrilled to provide this safe, early-stage supportive transitional housing,” says Melissa Bishop, CCC’s Associate Director of Recovery Housing Programs. “The Hotel will offer a safe, encouraging environment where residents can begin work on their recovery journeys. We’re also especially honored to be serving our Native American community members through our partnership with NARA.” 

View the fact sheet to learn more.

Completion is slated for fall 2021.