Lane County’s River Avenue Navigation Center will continue operating under its contract with Equitable Social Solutions for one more year, but its future beyond that is uncertain.
The Navigation Center contract renewal drew criticism last year from neighbors concerned with undesirable activities they associate with the homeless shelter and from a local shelter provider.
The Navigation Center opened in 2022 to provide shelter to the segment of the unhoused population considered most vulnerable. It was created after consulting firm Technical Assistance Collaborative advised city and county leaders to add 50 to 75 low-barrier shelter beds in its 2018 assessment, which included recommendations for other additions and changes to social services aimed at reducing homelessness in Eugene…