Two alternative shelter operations programs, the Safe Rest Village (SRV) program and the Temporary Alternative Shelter Sites (TASS) program, are merging into the City Shelter Services Team. While there are some slight differences between the programs, they both strive to serve the same goals—providing shelters with services for those experiencing homelessness.
Uniting all of the city’s alternative shelter operations into one program will streamline day-to-day operations, enhance services and simplify communication channels with the public. Brandy Westerman has been appointed to lead the City Shelter Services Team.
Westerman joined the city in September 2023 in the brand new role as Emergency Humanitarian Operations Director. She has spent more than two decades leading humanitarian response teams across the globe and brings her expertise to oversee all of the alternative shelter operations, including budget, procurement, construction, communications and project evaluations. Westerman said, “Everyone deserves a safe and comfortable place to sleep tonight and every night. I see shelter as a necessary part of the service ecosystem, while recognizing that secure housing with adequate and tailored services for every individual and family experiencing homelessness is our goal.”
The SRV and TASS teams have started working together, with websites and other more visible changes coming in the near future. There is a new, shared email that can be used to reach everyone involved with the city’s shelter services programs: shelterservices@portlandoregon.gov. Emails sent to the previous address (saferestvillages@portlandoregon.gov) are being forwarded to the new inbox. The phone number remains the same, 503.823.1340.