A First United Methodist Church shelter for Portland State University students experiencing homelessness will close on June 23 after struggling to find ongoing funding.
The Landing, an eight-bed temporary shelter for students, opened in the church’s gym during the pandemic in 2021. Houseless college students could use the space from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and had their own sleeping cubby, a place to store their things, access to washers and dryers and a small kitchenette.
More than 16% of Portland State students surveyed by the university in 2019 said they had experienced homelessness in the year prior.
Stevie Stevenson, one of the first students to stay at the shelter, said she was saddened by news of its closure. She said she and other students who stayed at The Landing would have had to give up their education if it were not for the shelter.
“It gave people a place to get some of their (life) back together or at least a place to stay while they figured out what was next,” Stevenson said. Stevenson stayed at the shelter for a few months in 2021, until she saved enough money to afford an apartment.
The Landing costs about $50,000 a year to operate, said Scott Robison, a church member and Portland State University employee who helps oversee the shelter. The money funded a stipend for a staff member who coordinated volunteers who helped with the shelter and for some shelter supplies, Robison said. More than 25 students have stayed in the facility, he said.
The facility was funded by the church and one-time pandemic money from Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services, office spokesperson Denis Theriault said. Robison said the shelter has since applied for grants from both the county and state Department of Education to keep the facility afloat, but did not receive the funding.
While the facility didn’t serve a large number of students, Robison said there was frequent turnover as students left for stable housing and he believes that more students would have recognized the shelter as a resource if it had been able to stay open longer.
“There’s clearly a huge amount of need for some sort of support like this,” Robison said. “We don’t really know where to go at this point because the county isn’t recognizing the value of the resource.”
The Landing worked with Portland State University to find housing for four students who were currently living in the space so they won’t be out on the street, Robison said.
Robison said the church would be willing to reopen the facility in the fall if it can secure enough money to do so.
This story was brought to you through a partnership between The Oregonian/OregonLive and Report for America. Learn how to support this crucial work.
Sami Edge covers higher education for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430.