Opening target missed by four days; OHRA seeks volunteers to help operate the shelter on nights when temps fall to 32 or below
Ashland.news staff report
The city’s severe weather winter shelter at 2200 Ashland St. will open at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, four days later than originally planned, to allow for a final cleanup and safety walk-throughs of the renovated facility, the city’s contracted shelter operator announced Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Severe weather shelter to open Friday through Sunday nights
A severe weather shelter will be open Friday through Sunday nights, Nov. 28 through 30, at the OHRA facility at 2350 Ashland St., the city of Ashland announced Wednesday, Nov. 26. The shelter opens at 5 p.m. with lights out at 10 p.m. Call 541-631-2235 or go to ohrahelps.org for details.
The seasonal shelter will operate through the morning of April 1 and will open from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. on any night when temperatures are forecast to fall to 32 degrees or below.
According to a Tuesday press release from the shelter’s operator, Opportunities for Housing, Resources & Assistance (OHRA), staff and volunteers in recent weeks have reached out to those struggling with homelessness to assess needs and secure spaces ahead of opening night. The facility will offer 30 beds. OHRA will make additional space available for drop-in guests.
OHRA, a nonprofit, also manages the city’s designated camping lawn. Dan Cano, OHRA’s executive director, told the Ashland City Council that the plan is to prioritize access to the Ashland Street shelter for those who staying at the camping lawn, also known as the “night lawn.”
Cano said his staff is working with local churches and community groups that operate emergency shelters to ensure people are not turned away when the facility is full.
OHRA said it is looking to recruit volunteers to assist with meal preparation and daily shelter operations at the 2200 Ashland St. shelter. Those who are interested can contact OHRA staffer Alexis Moser at 541-631-2235 or alexism@ohrahelps.org.
Email Ashland.news associate editor Steve Mitchell at stevem@ashland.news.
Nov. 26: Corrected to say shelter will offer 30, not 32, beds, and added information about emergency center opening Nov. 28-30.
Related stories:
Ashland selects ‘night lawn’ operator to manage winter shelter (Nov. 19, 2025)
City Council to discuss wildfire plan, housing project and emergency shelter upgrades on Tuesday (Aug. 17. 2025)
Ashland’s ‘night lawn’ camping area regularly exceeds capacity (Oct. 29, 2025)
‘We don’t want anybody left in a lurch’: Ashland’s unhoused get wildfire evacuation plan after concerns raised on local radio show (Oct.14, 2025)
Activist accuses Ashland police of using ‘night lawn’ to entrap homeless (June 17, 2025)
