Oregon housing officials have announced the next round of funding in the state’s plan to convert hotels into living space for the unhoused.
Receiving a total of $10.6 million, the hotels in this round of “Project Turnkey” are located in Astoria, Salem, and The Dalles. Each site will focus on serving the community’s most vulnerable individuals.
Megan Loeb, senior program officer with the Oregon Community Foundation, said this model of housing not only offers the state more capacity, but does it in a dignified way.
“People can bring their pets and their loved ones," Loeb said. "They have a door that locks so they can keep their belongings safe. And most of all, they are not traumatized through the process.”
Oregon Housing and Community Services has partnered with OCF to bring the project to fruition.
“These transitional homes are a manifestation of what is possible when all of us work together," said agency spokesperson Delia Hernandez. "This is what sustainable progress looks like.”
Oregon hopes to acquire at least 10 other properties statewide through Project Turnkey 2.0, and expects to announce another round of sites in April.
