Both of the county-run homeless shelters in Lincoln County will close for the season on April 30. That means a nonprofit drop-in center in Newport is bracing for a big increase in demand for services.
The Lincoln County Community Shelters in Lincoln City and Newport are open from Nov. 10 to April 30.
The Agape Respite Center, located at 357 SW 10th Street in Newport, offers year-around daytime drop-in services like showers, laundry, mailboxes, free clothing, hot lunches and other services.
Jamelle Villareal, Agape’s founder and executive director, said the small facility is already operating well beyond capacity. She and her staff are bracing for the shelters to close.
“We're a little bit overwhelmed because we're going to see more of the need increase,” said Villareal. “And if we're already balancing 40 to 75 people a day, Monday through Saturday, I'm not sure how we're going to be able to handle it.” The impacts on Agape’s operations go beyond a lack of material items. Villareal said closing the shelters has a big psychological impact on Agape’s clients.
“First, we look at the individuals who go there. It (closing the shelters) affects them emotionally, mentally, and physically. They don’t get a good night’s sleep. And not only that, the shelter provides a good breakfast and dinner, and we provide lunch, so it’s a great balance,” Villareal explained.
A difficult transition
Angel is a 65-year-old man who lives in the shelter. He and six others reclined in the parking lot across the street from Agape where staff were doing Angel’s laundry. The aroma of food hung in the air, and people in the parking lot ate macaroni and cheese and sandwiches off paper plates.
Angel has several debilitating medical conditions, so leaving the shelter will be hard.
“Well, I'm going to get used to it. I’m saying it will be hard at first, but I believe in God. I think God will come through,” Angel said with a faint smile.
In Angel’s estimation, many who use the shelter need the service much more than he does. He’s worried about families and people in their 70s and 80s and their ability to cope on the street.
After the shelters close for the season, Agape plans to begin handing out sack dinners to partially make up for the shelters’ closure, but Villareal said the only sustainable path forward is to find the resources needed to keep the county’s shelters open all year.
Below are selected results for the 2025 Point-in-Time Count for Lincoln County. See the full 2025 Lincoln County PIT here.
Total homeless count: 498
Sheltered: 247 | Unsheltered: 251
Homeless youth (0–24 years old): 149 (29.9%)
