With a February deadline closing in, dozens of people living in Portland’s tiny-home Safe Rest Villages say they have been told to pack up and leave under a new 120-day engagement rule, even as some residents insist they have been showing up for meetings and working with caseworkers. Residents at Reedway Safe Rest Village and other sites warn the sudden exit orders could send roughly 80 to 90 people back onto the street. City officials and shelter operators argue the policy is meant to keep limited shelter and housing resources moving, but advocates say the timing, combined with staff turnover, could leave some of Portland’s most vulnerable residents with nowhere to go.
120-Day Engagement Rule And Who It Hits
Portland operates eight alternative shelter sites made up of tiny homes and RV parking, and the city says its 120-day engagement policy, rolled out with providers in June 2025 and announced publicly last September, requires guests who do not engage with a caseworker to leave after 120 days. Two of those sites have already shut down, and recent city notices say residents who have not met engagement thresholds are being ordered out by next month, according to KATU.
Residents Say They Have Played By The Rules
At Reedway Safe Rest Village, several residents say they have been meeting regularly with coordinators yet were still labeled “nonengaging.” Tammie Martin says she has worked with seven different caseworkers since moving into Reedway in July 2023 and shared an application email she says shows she is actively pursuing housing and employment. Another resident, Melissa Massimila, has made similar claims, and both say they have appealed their exit notices to the city ombudsman. Urban Alchemy, which operates Reedway, said in a written statement that “eviction should always be a last resort” and that an appeals process is in place, per KATU.
Mayor’s Memo Draws A Hard Line
In a Jan. 6 email to city councilors, Mayor Keith Wilson said nearly 100 people across Portland’s alternative shelters are expected to hit their 120-day limits and that the city plans to move residents deemed unengaged into overnight shelters or day centers. “Stay limits and engagement requirements are nationwide best practices used to encourage continuous progress,” Wilson wrote, arguing the policy is designed to push movement into permanent housing. Councilor Candace Avalos was not convinced, responding, “I’m deeply concerned that we’re enforcing stay limits in shelter without having real housing off-ramps in place,” as reported by Portland Mercury.
Data Shows Limited Housing Exits
A recent Multnomah County report found that fewer than one in five people exiting shelters last fiscal year moved into permanent housing, and it flagged Reedway Safe Rest Village for particularly low housing exits, with roughly 7% of its departures going to permanent housing. The numbers have bolstered advocates’ argument that stay limits by themselves will not turn shelter beds into housing placements without more investment in housing options and behavioral health services, according to The Oregonian.
Operator Under Scrutiny And Staff Turnover Fears
Urban Alchemy, the nonprofit running Reedway and several other Safe Rest Villages, has already been under a microscope as the program has grown, including a City Auditor review of the group’s pre-contract contacts with local officials. That history, combined with the frequent coordinator turnover residents report, has advocates worried that follow-through on housing plans may be inconsistent and that some residents could be penalized for gaps that are not their fault, as reported by OPB.
Appeals, Uncertain Off-Ramps, And What Comes Next
Residents who say they have been meeting with caseworkers are now filing appeals with the city’s ombudsman and asking for detailed reviews of each exit decision. City officials maintain that providers have followed a process that includes warnings and that evicting someone from a Safe Rest Village is intended to be a last resort. At the same time, local leaders acknowledge that without more housing resources and services, enforcing stay limits risks turning February’s deadline into a one-way ticket back to the sidewalk.
