Five Years of Support and Care

Due to budget cuts from Multnomah County, Our Just Future’s Chestnut Tree Inn shelter closed its doors on June 30, 2026. While we understand that the county had to make many difficult decisions to balance the budget in a time of austerity, we are saddened that Portland lost a successful resource that helped hundreds of people find their footing, get off the streets, and move into stable permanent housing.  Chestnut Tree Inn opened in June 2020, just a few months after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“The Joint Office of Homeless Services and Multnomah County’s Emergency Operations Center began operating Chestnut Tree Inn as a shelter for women assessed as having the highest risks of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.” (Theriault, 2020)

By June 2026, the shelter had 56 rooms providing transitional housing support for women, non-binary, and gender-queer folks.

While Chestnut Tree Inn was designed to be a short-term solution for supporting our unhoused neighbors during a global pandemic, it became so much more and showed the necessary support needed to help folks transition off the streets. In total, 536 women, non-binary, and gender-queer folks, got a safe place to rest and find their own permanent housing.

By the county’s own metrics, Chestnut Tree Inn was one the highest performing motel style shelter transitioning many people to permanent housing. Participants ate meals, got support from a housing navigator and case manager, and got connected to other resources as needed like medical support.

We accomplished this work alongside the community who stepped in to provide meals, via our potluck program, clothing, and household supplies. Groups of volunteers came often to build permanent shade structure, outfit a clothing closet, upkeep neighborhood beautification, and so much more. Thank you to those who stepped up when needed.

The shelter provided employment to 100s of individuals who helped provide 24/7 support, even through the holidays. Thank you to the community, our workers, volunteers, and the people who lived there.