By Kris McDowell
The Clinton Triangle Taskforce, comprised of a diverse mix of representatives from the Central Eastside Industrial Council (CEIC), Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Association (HAND), Brooklyn Action Corps (BAC) and the City of Portland, have developed a Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) for the Clinton Triangle Temporary Alternative Shelter Site, located at 1490 SE Gideon St.
The 10-page agreement was developed over the course of nine meetings and includes city/neighborhood collaboration, performance metrics and reporting, who will be housed at the site, zones surrounding the Clinton Triangle that will receive enhanced city support services and more.
Clinton Triangle is a designated shelter area that will offer the unsheltered homeless a stable, safe and temporary place to connect with service providers and organize a plan. The site was slated to start receiving residents by the end of July.
The city’s contract with Urban Alchemy specifies that there will be one “guest service practitioner” for every 15 residents and there will be outreach practitioners assigned to a zone outside of the site for 16 hours each day to build community, help remove trash and biohazards and help maintain a safe and orderly environment. They will provide one hot meal per day, plus snacks, and the community will have a direct 24/7 phone number to reach Urban Alchemy at the site.
The standard of operations includes a prohibition on residents cooking or starting fires at the location; zero tolerance for weapons, which will be removed and stored in a locked area; enforcement of quiet hours 10 pm-7 am; a prohibition on residents parking within 1,000 feet of the site; a “no visitor” policy; and that the site will be maintained in a neat condition, free of graffiti, trash and pests.
Additionally, walk-ins will not be accepted and there will be no line waiting for entry. Only referrals will be accepted and all residents will be linked to physical, behavioral and mental health professionals as needed.
To facilitate continued collaboration between the city and neighborhood representatives, a Clinton Triangle Oversight Committee (CTOC) will be created with representatives from CEIC, HAND, BAC, the city and Urban Alchemy. The group will meet at least monthly to review performance metrics and serve as a point of contact for neighborhood residents with issues that arise from Clinton Triangle that are not otherwise addressed through existing processes, escalating them to the appropriate parties.
The city will provide a minimum of 60-days advance notice to the CTOC before proposed changes take effect (number of residents, services offered, timeline, points of contact/agency changes, site closure, etc.) and will not open any new sanctioned campsites in the three neighborhoods, other than the currently-planned Multnomah County We Shine shelter for the duration of the agreement. After two years, the city and CTOC will assess project performance prior to any contract/lease renewals, and a consensus will be reached prior to any site extension.
Residents of Clinton Triangle will initially be recruited from the BAC/HAND neighborhoods and CEID, with an initial target of 180 people and a cap of 200 people. When an individual is excluded from the program, the city will provide assistance locating other shelters/services and transportation to those services.
If a Clinton Triangle resident is arrested or convicted of a crime against people or property in the surrounding community, the CTOC will be consulted to determine the appropriate action. Even if a person’s actions fall short of criminal activity, the CTOC may identify them to discuss appropriate actions.
The zones that have been established surrounding the site that are to receive enhanced services are shown on maps within the GNA. The enhanced services outlined are the removal of unsanctioned campsites; the removal of abandoned vehicles, unsanctioned RVs and other unsanctioned vehicle camping/residency; plans for handling 911 (emergency) and 311 (non-emergency) calls; safety maintenance and repairs of city property; cleaning/clearing of obstructions in the public right of way and of significant trash in public spaces; significant graffiti removal on both public and private property; removal of human and medical waste; replanting of damaged vegetation; and reimbursement requests for vandalism on private residential property. The zones can be assessed in 60 days and changes made if there is mutual agreement between the CTOC and the city.
Finally, there is a communications resource guide for neighbors to report issues in their neighborhood. Issues include campsite and vehicle removal; people and property activities and crimes; trash and graffiti; maintenance and repairs of city property; and additional resources. At the time of writing, the Urban Alchemy 24/7 Contact Line was yet to be provided.
The full GNA is available at and information about temporary alternative shelter sites from the city can be found at portland.gov/wheeler/shelter-sites. The city’s guide directs those with further questions to email MayorWheeler@portland.gov.
As Clinton Triangle prepares to open, semi-opaque mesh has gone up and housing structures erected. Photo by Kris McDowell.
