Washington County currently offers 426 beds/rooms of shelter with a variety of options including congregate (shared space) shelter, non-congregate (separate rooms) shelter, pod style shelter, and shelter for specific populations such as youth, families, or veterans.
Our shelter capacity fluctuates depending on many factors such as weather and outside temperatures, seasonal capacity, and the need for specific types of shelter. Our team is constantly evaluating the needs of our shelter program and exploring additional locations to continue to meet that need. In the short term, we have been able to offer shelter rooms/beds to unsheltered individuals on a routine basis in 2023.
We also know that shelter is just one component of addressing homelessness. While shelter is an invaluable steppingstone for people experiencing homelessness, our end goal is to help people transition to long-term, affordable housing.