Emergency Shelter Siting Process

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Are you looking for shelter or resources?

For shelter, contact Community Connect at 503-640-3263 or CommunityConnect@CAOWash.org.
Visit our interactive public camping map to find day centers & areas where overnight camping may be allowed.
Find food pantries, utility & rent assistance, affordable housing, and more on our Community Resources webpage.

Review Process for Development of Emergency Shelters

Oregon Revised Statues 197.782-783 (ORS 197.782-783) removes land use barriers that might otherwise prevent emergency shelters from locating on certain sites.

This state law requires Hillsboro — and all local governments in Oregon — to approve emergency shelter development applications that meet the criteria listed in the law, regardless of any other land use requirements that would otherwise apply. Emergency shelter development applications are not subject to the City of Hillsboro’s Community Development Code and do not require the mailed notice, public comment, or appeal periods that are required under a typical land use application process.

The expedited emergency shelter review process and approval requirements prescribed by state law are known as super siting.

Super Siting Application Criteria

Under super siting laws, an “emergency shelter” is defined as:

A building that provides shelter on a temporary basis for individuals and families who lack permanent housing.
May also include: youth shelters, Veterans' shelters, winter or warming shelters, day shelters, and family violence shelter homes.

The City of Hillsboro is required to approve an application to develop an emergency shelter if the proposal meets the following criteria and operator requirements outlined in the law.

Criteria

The shelter must:

Include sleeping and restroom facilities
Comply with applicable building codes
Be located within an urban growth boundary or in a rural residential zone
Not result in a new building that is sited within an area designated under a statewide land use planning goal relating to natural disasters and hazards (e.g. flood plains or mapped environmental health hazards) unless the development complies with regulations directly related to the hazard
Have adequate transportation access to commercial and medical services
Not pose any unreasonable risk to public health or safety

Operator Requirements

The shelter must also be operated by:

A local government, or
An organization with at least two years’ experience operating an emergency shelter using best practices that is:
- A housing authority,
- A religious corporation,
- A public benefit corporation whose charitable purpose includes the support of homeless individuals and that has been recognized as exempt from income tax under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code on or before January 1, 2017, or
- A nonprofit corporation partnering with any of those entities

If the application meets the criteria and operator requirements, the City is required to approve it, even if land use code would prohibit an emergency shelter at the location under other circumstances.

Review Process

Decision Process

Public Notification & Engagement: Not Required Under State Law

Appeal Process

Application Decisions

Decisions on emergency shelter super siting applications are published here.

December 6, 2024, Project Homeless Connect Access Center
Notice of Decision: Case File No. NTES-001-24 Project Homeless Connect (PHC) Shelter

October 4, 2024, Year-Round Shelter on SW 17th Avenue
Notice of Decision: Case File No. DR-016-24 Hillsboro Shelter

Apply to Develop an Emergency Shelter

To submit an emergency shelter super siting application, please submit a narrative letter and supporting evidence demonstrating how the proposed emergency shelter meets the criteria listed in ORS 197.782-783 and stated above on this webpage.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact our Development & Permitting Team prior to submitting an application. Please email our Development & Permitting Team or call 503-681-6153 to schedule a pre-application consultation.

Learn More & Contact Us

For questions or comments related to the City of Hillsboro’s homelessness initiatives, please email our Community Services Program Coordinator or call 503-681-6271.

City of Hillsboro, OR

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