New 60-pod shelter opens in Aloha to address Washington County housing gap
The $3.7 million facility, funded by Metro and state agencies, will add capacity to a network that has grown from zero year-round adult beds in 2021 to more than 400 today.
By Tyler Khalil ·
A new 60-pod village for people experiencing homelessness was dedicated on Tuesday, October 27, off Southwest 209th Street in Aloha, with operations scheduled to begin by the end of the year.
Washington County’s housing infrastructure has expanded rapidly in the last five years. In 2021, the county had no year-round shelter beds for adults. By 2025, that number exceeded 400. The county purchased the property in 2025, and the Housing Authority of Washington County currently owns the site. The Metro Supportive Housing Services measure funded the full $3.7 million development cost, while Oregon Housing and Community Services contributed $1.5 million to the annual operating budget.
Evan Nehring, who was released from prison in December 2024 with $1,000 in savings, spoke at the dedication. He used his savings to stay in a hotel before securing a bed at the Beaverton shelter in early January 2025. By June 2025, six months after his release, he moved into his own apartment. Nehring now serves on the Washington County Lived Experience Advisory Committee, a group of individuals who have personally experienced homelessness.
Jes Larson, assistant director of the Washington County Department of Housing Services, said the facility will accommodate up to 70 people. The site will provide meals, bathrooms, showers, linens, and laundry services. Larson described the program as offering around-the-clock professionals trained to help residents find stability. Jeremy Toevs, executive director of Open Door HousingWorks, which will operate the village, stated that the opening is about creating opportunities and restoring hope.
Nafisa Fai, Washington County District 1 Commissioner, noted that a 2025 point-in-time count found 800 people experiencing homelessness in the county. She said that count likely did not capture everyone. In 2025, more than 700 people moved directly from shelter into housing. Of those with housing vouchers, 97% remained safely housed after one year.
Gerritt Rosenthal, a Metro councilor, said the Metro measure has moved more than 16,000 people from homelessness to housing since voters passed it in 2020. The measure has also provided eviction prevention to more than 20,000 households. Liz Weber, director of Housing Stability at the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, said the new village will provide safety and stability for residents in Washington County.
Tonya Lamar, the new site manager for Next Step Community, said the facility will feature individual air conditioning and heating units in each pod. She noted that the hardest part of the job is convincing people who have lived outside to engage with the shelter system. She said the goal is to help residents work toward housing goals, citing success stories from the Cornelius pod site she currently manages.
