Women's shelter proposed in Northwest District
Blanchet House plans overnight facility for 75 women on NW 17th
An overnight women’s shelter to be operated by Blanchet House is proposed in a commercial building at 1015 NW 17th Ave.
Neighbors are invited to a presentation on the proposal Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m.-noon, at The Triple Lindy, 1000 NW 17th Ave. There will be a question and answer session. A flyer with these details was sent to addresses within 1,000 feet of the planned shelter.
“This is a 75-bed women’s shelter that I think the mayor and city have been planning for a while,” wrote Ken Thrasher, who chairs the nonprofit Northwest Community Conservancy, a security and humanitarian outreach organization in the Pearl District.
“It’s interesting that they have had zero conversations with the neighborhood about this location,” said Todd Zarnitz, president of the Northwest District Association. “I decided to take a trip down to Blanchet House this evening to get a sense of how their immediate neighborhood looks lately, and was deeply disturbed by the scene.“
Chase McPherson, executive director of NWCC, said, “I got this email out of the blue about them buying a building. Looks like they have not closed yet.”
“Blanchet House is excited to engage with our neighbors as we prepare to open our new women’s shelter,” read a statement on the agency’s website. “We’re committed to fostering a safe, welcoming environment, and will be working closely with the city of Portland to support a positive experience for everyone. Community engagement will remain at the heart of our efforts.”
The shelter would be named Bethanie’s Room to honor a Blanchet House client who died in 2024 while homeless.
The property at occupies the northwest corner of 17th and Lovejoy streets, and was last occupied by a bicycling shop.
…
We have subsequently received a response to our story from Blanchet House, which is posted in the comments below. Click here
I will be attending tomorrow’s (May 31) meeting at The Triple Lindy.
Thank you for your coverage and for ensuring your readers receive factual information about Blanchet House's forthcoming women's program, Bethanie’s Room. We want to offer a few clarifications to correct some inaccuracies that may mislead the public:
1. The quote, “This is a 75-bed women’s shelter that I think the mayor and city have been planning for a while,” attributed to Ken Thrasher, is incorrect. Bethanie’s Room is not a city-planned shelter but instead a privately operated and fully donor-funded initiative led by Blanchet House.
2. Regarding the quote from Todd Zarnitz, “It’s interesting that they have had zero conversations with the neighborhood about this location,” we’d like to clarify that our first neighborhood meeting, by invitation, is scheduled for May 31 at The Triple Lindy. This will be our first gathering with close neighbors, and we’re genuinely looking forward to meeting them. Members of our team have spent the past week walking the neighborhood to introduce ourselves personally to residents, business owners, and property managers.
3. The statement, “Neighbors are invited to a presentation on the proposal Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m.-noon, at The Triple Lindy, 1000 NW 17th Ave,” may give the impression of a public presentation. In reality, this is an initial meet-and-greet small gathering with residents and businesses close to the future site of Bethanie’s Room. Ryan, the owner of The Triple Lindy, kindly offered his space after we introduced ourselves and shared our vision. Once the property sale closes, we look forward to hosting a larger, open-house-style event where more community members can learn about our plans and get involved.
Thank you again for your attention to our coming program and your commitment to accurate reporting in our NW neighborhood. If you have any questions, please email me at jshowers@blanchethouse.org or our director, Scott Kerman, at skerman@blanchethouse.org.
Thank you for your time, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Julie Showers (she/her)
Content, Communications & PR Director
Blanchet House
Anything to keep Homelessness Inc.™ up and running--and ruining yet another neighborhood. The idea that we owe "the homeless" anything is so insane that it easily passes muster in the progressive worldview--which is aimed at making people totally dependent on government (and NGO bolt-ons). Blanchet could care less about any spillover effects. The neighbors must get on the "service" agenda...or move.
I once thought this was a sort of naive compassion carried to its extreme; but having watched the various organs of the corporation, I realize it's really an extension of the collectivist impulse, with a thick frosting of careerism. As they say: Follow the money. (Tougher to do than say, since nonprofits are notoriously opaque--which makes them perfect companions to the progressive machine.)