Government » Shaping Salem's Future » Housing & Shelter » Learn About City Efforts to Address Homelessness

Responding to Sheltering in Public Spaces

Addressing homelessness in Salem is a top priority for the community and the City Council. Here you will find updates on the efforts being made by the City, Salem Housing Authority, and our community partners. You can also explore the City’s other housing and shelter information.

July 1

Day Center Services

A high-heat warning takes effect Thursday, July 4 starting at noon with temperatures Friday and Saturday predicted to climb above 100. Opening hours at each cooling center vary depending on the host’s criteria. Most cooling centers will not open until temperatures exceed 95 degrees. Verify that a given center is open prior to planning a trip for yourself or someone else. Availability of resources may change depending on the event and availability of resources.

  • ARCHES day center is open Wednesday through Sunday at 615 Commercial Street NE. Regular hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-4:30 p.m. On days when the temperature exceeds 95 degrees, day center extends closing until 8 p.m.
  • HOAP (Homeless Outreach & Advocacy Project) at 694 Church Street NE is open during the day Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Closed 1:00-2:00 p.m. Window Services 2:00-4:00 p.m. (mail, hygiene items, bathrooms, and other services). Brunch: 10:30 a.m.-noon. On Mondays, brunch is only available to women and nonbinary folks. Mondays are women and nonbinary days from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. On high heat days, HOAP may announce afternoon cooling shelter from 2-4 p.m.
  • The ROCC (Recovery Outreach Community Center) offers peer support, resource navigation, Oregon Health Plan assistance, group activities, soup, coffee, computers, transportation to and from showers on Wednesday, and outreach. ROCC is open Wednesday through Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Tuesday, noon to 5:00 p.m., at 1190 Broadway St. NE. http://www.roccsalem.org/calendar On high heat days, ROCC may announce extended hours.
  • Kindness Closet is open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. each Tuesday and offers ARCHES’ shower truck, a hot meal, coffee, cold drinks, desserts, and a bag lunch to go. They are hosted by the Grace Community Church at 4105 Lancaster Dr. NE.
  • The Oak Park Church of God hosts a wellness table each Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The table includes a meal, a partnership with the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency for a shower truck visit and other community partners. The location is 2990 Lancaster Dr. NE.

Grants Pass Court Case

On Friday, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision relating to people experiencing homelessness, the City of Grants Pass versus Johnson, et.al. The case concerned constitutional challenges to Grants Pass laws restricting living unsheltered out of doors and sleeping in public. The decision does not vacate the Oregon Legislature’s Oregon Revised Statutes, which require that any city time, manner, and place restrictions on outdoor sheltering need to be objectively reasonable for people experiencing homelessness. 

The City of Salem values being welcoming, livable and safe for every person. Salem restricts some ways of living unsheltered, such as not to block a sidewalk. The City’s capacity is challenged to be able to respond to each situation in a timely way. The City invested in the Homeless Services Team at the police department which helps bring safety and compassionate collaboration with service providers to our team. The City invested in our debris mitigation team which averages 23 tons of trash pulled from city streets each month. These teams collaborate with the Special Projects Outreach Team at Salem Housing Authority and with a myriad of local community partners. Health and safety are our top concerns as we prioritize limited capacity to address concerns.

Teams lead with evidence-based practices such as being trauma-informed and working toward shelter, housing and self-sufficiency. Everyone struggles with gaps in our systems such as adequate options for people with behavioral, physical health and disability barriers, and with adequate affordable housing and staffed supportive housing options such as group homes. We’ve been working to increase alternative options to living on the streets: 

  • From 2019 – 2023, more than 5,160 housing units were permitted, and the majority (61%) were in multi-family housing, ADU’s and duplexes.
  • Also, in this time frame we opened the navigation center, micro-shelter villages and permanent supportive housing units. We helped make investments to other shelter options such as the ARCHES Inn, SafeSleep United and the transitional housing Mosaic, operated by Center for Hope and Safety.

We encourage people to engage with any number of organizations working to help and to be supportive of projects such as the recent cottage clusters at United Way, which bring affordability. There are volunteer and donation opportunities with many nonprofits.

Salem Outreach and Livability Services (SoS)

The SoS Team addressed areas at the mouth of Mill Creek, First Street and Downtown last week and this week will be focusing on:

  • Cascades Gateway Park
  • Under Mill Creek Bridge
  • 14th and Mission below the overpass

The SoS Team provides direct outreach to those living unsheltered, to share resources and alternative options to assist property owners with those who may be trespassing on private property, and to pick up trash.

Needs

Local food banks report more than a 20% reduction in donations while inflation is driving up the costs of food. You can be part of a solution in our community by donating to Marion and Polk County Food Share. Your donations will help our neighbors transitioning from shelters to their new, permanent, affordable homes. For some, leaving shelter also means they are leaving two or more prepared meals a day. Your donations to help build food security in our community will help our neighbors as they settle into their new homes. 

Learn how to give to Marion Polk Food Share

Women’s Shelter Seeks Volunteers: Help SafeSleep United, managed by the United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley, serve women experiencing homelessness by filling needed volunteer shifts! Visit their web page for information.

Expanding Housing and Shelter

  • The Navigation Center sheltered 82 people during the past three months, according to their quarterly report. In addition, 13 people were able to exit to positive destinations during the quarter, most with the help of Rapid Rehousing funding provided through the governor’s Emergency Order. This experience shows the effectiveness of pairing the Navigation Center with Rapid Rehousing funds to help people who will have an ongoing need for rent assistance. Another four people who were unemployed obtained employment.
  • Sequoia Crossings permanent supportive housing in NE Salem is now full and home to 60 households, many of them with two or more residents.
  • The Safe Parking Network partners with local communities to provide legal parking spaces on their property for those who are unsheltered to stay in their vehicle overnight. C@P’s goal is to help transition those in our Safe Parking program to permanent housing as quickly as possible. Call 971-375-7491 or email safeparking@church-at-the-park.org .

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