“It’s not just putting people anywhere because someone raises their hand. He said making the match between families and homeowners can be challenging. Officials hoped it would help empty the Expo and provide people staying there with a place to go.īrit Vitalius, president of the board of directors for the Quality Housing Coalition, said Friday that there has been only one successful placement in the home share program so far, though the coalition has about 30 other leads it is exploring. The city, Quality Housing Coalition and Greater Portland Council of Governments last month launched a home share program aimed at connecting tenants, including asylum seekers, with landlords and homeowners with extra space in apartments, homes and short-term rentals. The announcement comes as the city and community groups have been scrambling to find new housing for families at the Expo, some of whom already have been moved to other options, including spaces that have opened up at the city’s family shelter and a motel in Portland that accepts General Assistance. ![]() In the meantime, Grondin said staff were planning to let families at the Expo know about the plans Friday afternoon and that the city was in the process of informing community organizations, which are expected to help provide support services at the hotels.ĭetails on transportation and how the families will be moved to the hotels are being worked out, she said. The contracts don’t require City Council approval, but the council is expected to receive an update on the plans at its meeting Monday. The city expects its share of the cost for the hotels to be around $500,000, Grondin said. The state reimburses the city for 70% of General Assistance costs, which would be used to pay for the hotels, while the city is responsible for 30%. The city is hoping to use one of the hotels for a few months, while the second one could be used for up to a year, she said. “We’ve had pretty good success finding housing placements, so we don’t anticipate having to use the hotels for very long, but obviously we need something in the interim,” Grondin said. A total of 192 people are currently staying at the Expo, down from around 300 this spring. 1, overwhelming already strained shelter and housing resources. More than 1,600 asylum seekers have arrived in Portland since Jan. ![]() The city set the closure date weeks ago and stopped accepting new families at the Expo in early June, saying it would need to reopen the sports arena for scheduled events this fall. The temporary shelter at the Expo, which opened in April to house an influx of asylum seekers, is scheduled to close Wednesday. Grondin said she did not want to disclose the locations until the documents were signed so as not to jeopardize the negotiations. The contracts for the two hotels, both of which are located in the greater metro area outside Portland, were expected to be signed later Friday. “We want to have a few more months to find them housing placements or work them into the existing system, such as units that may open up at the family shelter,” city spokesperson Jessica Grondin said Friday afternoon. Subscribe - Holiday Gift Subscriptions Sign In My Account Logout Primary Menu ☰ X
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