Overview
Blanchet House is fundraising to open Bethanie’s Room, an overnight emergency women’s shelter offering safety and support to those experiencing homelessness and crisis in Portland. The shelter is privately funded through the generosity of Blanchet House’s donors, without financial support from the City of Portland or Multnomah County.
The Challenge
Four out of 10 unsheltered people in Portland are women, yet their shelter needs remain shockingly underserved. Currently, a woman in need of a safe place to sleep has access to only one emergency shelter. All other shelters have wait lists, forcing most women to sleep on the streets where they are vulnerable to violence and exploitation. The absence of adequate, same-day shelter options leaves women experiencing homelessness with nowhere to turn during their most desperate hours. The need for immediate action is clear.
“Right now, I sleep in a doorway or walk around all night. It would feel a lot safer in a shelter,” shared Kasie, a guest of Blanchet House’s free cafe.
Blanchet’s Vision for Change
In response to the senseless suffering faced by women experiencing homelessness, Blanchet House is expanding its services to open a dedicated women’s nighttime shelter. Bethanie’s Room will serve as an emergency overnight shelter designed specifically for women.
The shelter will provide:
- A Safe Haven A secure and welcoming space accommodating up to 75 women each night.
- Essential Resources Food, hygiene supplies, bathrooms, and a supportive atmosphere staffed exclusively by women to ensure safety and compassion.
- Pathways to Stability Partnerships with peer organizations to connect women with healthcare, counseling, and housing opportunities.
The Space
We are in the process of purchasing a building in NW Portland to house Bethanie’s Room. Blanchet House had previously explored leasing a different location in Southwest Portland (the building formerly St. Stephens Episcopal Church), but pivoted after determining the site would not allow for the shelter model we envisioned. The costs related to renovations and trauma-informed updates are included in our total estimate for this project.
Community Engagement
Blanchet House is committed to engaging with our neighbors as we prepare to open Bethanie’s Room, a new women’s nighttime shelter, this October. Our goal is to foster a safe, welcoming environment, and we will work closely with neighborhood stakeholders and the City of Portland to support a positive experience for everyone.
Community engagement is central to our efforts. Bethanie’s Room is privately operated by Blanchet House and funded by compassionate donors. While the City of Portland and Multnomah County are supportive, they are not involved in the planning or funding of this initiative. A community meeting was held on May 31 at The Triple Lindy for residential and commercial neighbors near the new overnight shelter. The gathering provided information and offered an opportunity for questions and dialogue.
We want our community to feel proud of what we’re building—a model shelter that is safe, respectful, and well-managed, inside and out. For timely responses, please direct questions to bethaniesroom@blanchethouse.org.
Read our Neighborhood Pledge and find answers to questions about safety and livability below.
About Bethanie
Bethanie’s Room is named in memory of a beloved client who struggled with mental health and lost her life while unhoused in 2024. At the time, there were no overnight emergency women’s shelters in NW Portland. Her family remembers her as an artist, singer, and musician with a degree in music therapy. Our community hopes to honor her legacy by providing safe, supportive shelter to prevent women from being forced to sleep outside, in harm’s way.
“My hope for Bethanie‘s Room would be that women experiencing difficult times would have a place where they can feel safe and find renewed hope,” writes Bethanie’s dad.
Bethanie as a teen in an undated photo from her family.
The Funding
Funded entirely by private donors, foundations, and businesses, Bethanie’s Room receives no government support. To financially support Bethanie’s Room, contact Steve Cook at scook@blanchethouse.org or 503-241-4340 ext. 103.
About Blanchet House
For more than 70 years, Blanchet House has been serving Portlanders challenged by poverty and addiction. Its name has become synonymous with compassionate care and life-giving hope through its hot meals program, transitional residential programs, peer support resources, and a welcoming community.