Renovated Overnight Shelter In Newport Open

After months of undergoing extensive renovations, the Community Shelter and Resource Center’s Newport location at Seventh and Hurbert streets is once again providing safe, affirming overnight refuge for any member of the community,

including their pets. The Newport shelter began its second season of operation at First Presbyterian Church on 12th Street while renovations were underway. This is the second year that church has graciously provided space to shelter guests. The Housing Authority of Lincoln County, which owns the renovated Seventh and Hurbert building, also hosted shelter clients in its Ocean Spray Family Center.

The renovations, led by Top-to-Bottom Contractors of Newport, include new flooring,

fresh paint, a fire-suppression system, new plumbing throughout, an ADA-compliant

bathroom and ADA-compliant entry door, a medical office, a navigation office, a training

room, private rooms for individuals with mobility limitations, new windows, new siding,

and new exterior paint. Also installed were internet and fiber cables for guest access

and safety cameras.

“These improvements will significantly enhance our facility, allowing us to increase

capacity with more beds while providing better accommodations for individuals with

mobility limitations,” Winter Shelter Program Manager Chantelle Estess said. “This will

offer greater privacy and space, particularly for those who use oxygen machines.

Additionally, it will provide more personal time for guests with pets, keeping them

separate from the general population.”

The newly built medical office will offer essential health care services, supporting

stabilization by meeting individuals where they are in their medical journey. A volunteer

physician will provide basic on-site care and referrals. The navigation office will streamline referrals to outside agencies for mental health services, substance use disorder treatment, and transitional or permanent housing. The training room will focus on staff development in key areas such as de-escalation, blood-borne pathogens, human trafficking, and security. It will also host provider agencies like Veteran Services, offering education and support.

“These improvements are designed to create a safe, supportive space for our guests,

providing shelter, medical care, meals, and personalized support,” Estess said. “This is

a vital first step in stabilizing our guests and working toward ending homelessness.”

“We couldn’t have completed this project without the incredible efforts of the Housing

Authority of Lincoln County, the City of Newport, architect Dietmar Goebel, the Lincoln

County Homelessness Advisory Board, First Presbyterian, Top-to-Bottom Contractors,

and all the dedicated subcontractors who played a role,” Health and Human Services

Director Jayne Romero said. The Community Shelter and Resource Center is a division

of Romero’s department.

“Together, we are providing a safe haven for our unhoused population, opening the

door to stabilization and, ultimately, the end of their houselessness,” Romero said.

The renovated location’s first night reopened on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Check-in each night is from 6 to 7 p.m. The address is 351 SW Seventh St., Newport.

Subcontractors who worked on the renovation include Aboveboard Plumbing,

Aboveboard Electric, Ports Contracting, A&A Drilling, CAPC Abatement, J&R Fire and

ES&A Sign & Awning Co. The total cost of the renovation was $605,000. The city of Newport generously contributed $250,000 toward that amount. Lincoln County contributed $200,000, and the Lincoln County Homelessness Advisory Board (an intergovernmental body made up of representatives from all the county’s cities, the County, and the Community Services Consortium contributed $200,000 via House Bill 4123.

Commissioner Claire Hall, Chair of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners and its

representative to the Lincoln County Homelessness Advisory Board, said she’s excited

to see the building reopen to guests. “I’m grateful for the work of so many – County staff, our local government partners, and private contractors alike – toward enhancing our missing of ‘saving lives, one night at a time,’” Commissioner Hall said.