$26M plan for Behavioral Health Center in Portland OK'd
May 13 2021
The Multnomah County Commission approved plans for a new 42-bed mental health shelter, as well as 20 beds of transitional housing.
More than 60 people suffering from mental health issues will have space to recover off the streets when a new center for behavioral health opens in downtown Portland in fall 2022, leaders say.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners tied a bow on the blueprints for the 24,000-square-foot facility, which now has an approved price tag of $26 million, during a virtual meeting on Thursday, May 13.
"The Behavioral Health Resource Center is not a crisis center," said Julie Dodge, who was appointed the county's interim behavioral health director in January. "It's the place where we can encourage someone to go to get the next step of resources," after stabilization at an emergency room.