On Monday, Portland advocates and street outreach workers raised concerns after Multnomah County left its emergency warming centers closed despite forecasts of cold, wet weather. Outreach teams were handing out blankets, tarps, and hand warmers while searching for limited year-round shelter beds, reigniting debate over the county’s strict activation rules and whether thresholds for opening extra space adequately protect people sleeping outside.
County says thresholds were not met
Multnomah County says its emergency severe-weather shelters stayed closed because forecasts did not meet the county’s activation thresholds, and it directed people needing shelter to call 2-1-1, according to the Multnomah County website. The county says it monitors temperature, precipitation and wind before deciding whether to activate additional warming sites, and points people toward nearly 3,000 year-round shelter beds and 211 for referrals when severe-weather beds are not opened.
Advocates say closures leave people exposed
Outreach workers and local advocates told KGW they worry that keeping warming centers closed while rain and near-freezing overnight temperatures are possible leaves people without safe options. Providers described extra strain on street teams trying to move people into year-round shelters and track down any overflow space that might be available, according to the KGW report.
Forecast: falling snow levels and icy mornings
Meteorologists warned that a Pacific trough would drag in cooler air, lower snow levels and bring on-and-off showers with overnight lows near freezing, conditions that can make for slick, icy mornings, according to the National Weather Service. Local forecasts showed the best chance for accumulation in higher elevations and a real risk of mixed rain and snow in foothill and hill neighborhoods through midweek.
Why officials stick to strict triggers
The county’s policy sets firm activation triggers. Extra severe-weather shelters open when there is a forecast low of 25°F, or a forecast at or below 32°F with at least one inch of rain and sustained winds above 10 mph, or a forecast of one inch of snow, according to county guidance. Advocates argue those rules can be too rigid when cold, wet conditions hover near freezing and streets turn dangerous, and some service providers point to funding strains that limit how many sites the county can staff. Reporting last year noted a major shortfall in the Homeless Services budget that could affect day-center capacity, coverage that Axios has followed.
Where to find help right now
People seeking shelter, or anyone wanting to report a person in need, are urged to call 2-1-1 or check local winter-services pages and shelter maps for the latest list of open daytime options. Several nonprofits and outreach teams are also distributing warm clothing, blankets and hand warmers while they try to arrange placements or referrals.
Advocates renew push for more flexibility
Advocates told KGW they want Multnomah County to consider more flexible activation criteria, or at least to stand up daytime overflow spaces when conditions are dangerous but fall short of the strict thresholds. KGW reported that county officials said they will continue to monitor forecasts and that enhanced outreach teams can be activated under a separate cold-weather alert when conditions warrant.
