As freezing temperatures and dangerous winter conditions arrive throughout much of Central Oregon, efforts to provide shelter to people living outside are intensifying. Advocates argue that the existing availability of shelter beds isn’t enough to help all those in need.

As the state’s affordable housing crisis worsens, thousands of Oregonians are forced to confront severe winter conditions, placing individuals at high-risk of exposure to freezing temperatures that could lead to frostbite or even death. In Bend, shelters are experiencing an uptick in demand for resources that are already spread dangerously thin.

“Slowly as the weather gets colder, we get more phone calls. We’re doing what we can to support those youth that are in need,” said Trinnie Mongar, an employee at Cascade Youth and Family Center, a shelter that provides services to runaway and homeless teens and young adults. Mongar estimates the shelter is at 90% capacity.

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There were 37 reported deaths of homeless individuals throughout Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties from the start of 2022 through October 2023, according to data from the Oregon Health Authority. Statewide, fatalities among unhoused individuals last year reached a peak during the late fall and winter months.

“What the cold weather brings for us is a heightened level of attention to people that are particularly vulnerable to frostbite,” said Evan Hendrix, the director of navigation services at Shepherd’s House Ministries. “All day every day, we are over capacity, regardless of the weather. It’s a pretty rare occasion that we’ve got extra beds available or extra space.”

Hendrix encourages community members to donate warm clothing to shelters in the coming weeks. “The fingers and toes tend to get frostbitten the quickest and the easiest, so socks and dry gloves are absolutely crucial for this time of year,” Hendrix said.

Emergency shelter

During emergencies marked by severe weather and full capacity at existing shelters, churches in Bend have provided overnight emergency shelter to those in need in the past.

House Bill 2006, passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2021, was designed to streamline the process for approving emergency shelters. The bill allowed cities to bypass zoning rules and other planning regulations that often hinder the establishment of shelters, as long as specified standards are met. These criteria include providing access to transportation, adherence to building codes and ensuring no health or safety risks.

“We take in as many as we can. We welcome them, and love on them and hopefully help them change their lives,” said Cindy Burback, the executive director at Redemption House Ministries in Prineville.

Redemption House Ministries operates two shelters, one for women and children and another for men. It’s the only two available shelters throughout Crook County, according to Burback. “We don’t close doors to anybody. We’re just doing the best we can with the little space that we have,” Burback said.

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Hendrix said the goal is to provide around 500 beds throughout the region, but those beds can only serve a faction of the burgeoning population of homeless people. The most recent estimation of the unhoused population in Central Oregon is around 1,600, but “the real number is probably closer to double that,” Hendrix said.

“I’m not a proponent of saying we need enough shelter beds for every single individual because they’re really just a stopgap. It’s helpful and necessary in the current moment, but what we need is continued support from the community to build affordable housing,” Hendrix said. “We’re trying to put Band-Aids on bullet holes.”

Warming shelters in Central Oregon

According to NeighborImpact, a Central Oregon assistance organization, the following warming shelters are available in Central Oregon:

The Lighthouse Navigation Center

Address: 275 NE Second St., #5177, Bend

Who?: Men, women and families, 110 beds

541-318-0729

Shepherd’s House Ministries, Redmond

Address: 1350 S. U.S. Highway 97, Redmond

Who?: Men, women, and families, 40 beds

541-788–8098

Madras Winter Shelter

Address: 813 SW U.S. Highway 97

Who?: Adults and families, 14 beds

541-520-9987 or 541-604-2745

Regeneration House and Redemption House

Address: 970 NW Madras Highway, Prineville

Open for emergency shelter as space allows

541-362-5642

La Pine Warming Center

Address: 16430 Third St., La Pine

Who?: Men, women and families, 20 beds

541-948-6649

Minors

Please refer all unaccompanied minors to Cascade Youth and Family Center

541-382-0934