Community invited to tour the site from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news
The city of Ashland has scheduled an open house for its newly acquired emergency shelter site at 2200 Ashland St. from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the site, be introduced to the work done so far and “receive an operational orientation” from the city’s likely contractor for the shelter, Options for Housing, Resources and Assistance (OHRA), according to a news release from the city of Ashland.
City staff and city councilors are still negotiating a contract with OHRA to run the shelter and work out the details for the facility building and daily operations. The shelter is intended to be open to residents in November, according to the release.
The city of Ashland first announced the shelter during the Aug. 15, 2022 council business meeting when the City Council voted to purchase the property, formerly used for offices of Coming Attractions Theatres, operators of the Varsity Theatre in Ashland and many other movie theaters.
Most of the funding for the purchase came from a grant from the state of Oregon awarded after a state of emergency was declared in January due to increases in unsheltered homelessness in a number of Oregon counties, including Jackson County.
For more information on the shelter, visit the city of Ashland’s dedicated information page.
Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at morganr@ashland.news.
