Millions in state funding saves three Salem homeless shelter sites

Three of Church at the Park's homeless shelters, Salem's first-of-its-kind microshelter villages, created in partnership with the city, faced closure due to the city's budget shortfall .

Millions of dollars from the state will keep the shelters open for another year.

Church at the Park leaders announced Wednesday the three shelter projects were fully funded through the state.

The nonprofit currently operates three microshelter sites:

• Village of Hope at 1280 Center St. NE: houses 80 vulnerable adults.
• Catholic Community Services Family Shelter at 3737 Portland Road NE: houses 132 children, youth and adults
• The Young Adult Shelter at 2410 Turner Road SE: Serves 38 teens and young adults ages 18 to 24.

Organization leaders said 203 people moved from Church at the Park shelters to positive destinations like permanent, supportive or transitional housing in 2023. More than 400 people are on waitlists for the microshelter villages.

Local advocates have made it their goal to have microshelter villages in all eight wards of the city. A community effort raised more than $770,000 — enough for at least 154 shelter units in 2021.

Despite having enough funds, the city struggled to find land to host the villages. Eventually, three locations opened in north and southeast Salem.

The sites are managed by Church at the Park and have 24/7 security and staffing along with wraparound medical, mental health, housing and career services.

The creation of the villages was a unique move for the city, which typically did not provide homelessness services.

Over the years, about 1,000 people have been sheltered at the sites.

When Salem faced a multi-million dollar deficit this budget season, the recently added homelessness services were set to be on the chopping block.

But now $8.49 million from the state is keeping the three locations funded until June 2025 and helping fund sheltering services in rural Polk County.

"The funding from the state enables us to continue to restore dignity and make our community safer, more welcoming, and more livable for everyone," Church at the Park officials said in a statement.

In Dallas, the nonprofit is renovating a home to provide emergency shelter for three families.

They are also in the process of applying to shelter 14 vulnerable adults at a property in Monmouth and hope to begin moving them in this fall.

Leaders said they will continue to work with the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance, state representatives and Oregon Housing and Community Services to secure funding for July 2025.

Church at the Park leaders also announced that through partnerships with the state, Salem, the Willamette Health Council, various foundations, local businesses and congregations, and private citizens, they are able to pay all staff a living wage beginning in September.

"The price of housing continues to be a financial burden for members of our community, including our staff," Church at the Parker leaders said. "Members of our staff who are working full time should not be competing for affordable housing with the people we are serving."

They said they strive to promote equity and inclusion in all aspects of their work and believe that all of their employees should earn a "dignified wage that affords them the ability to live in the city that they serve without rent burden."

Based on the Fair Market Rent costs for Salem, the living wage is $19.17 an hour.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com , call 503-910-6616 or follow on X at @wmwoodworth

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Millions in state funding saves three Salem homeless shelter sites