A new 24-hour shelter for sober homeless veterans will open this fall in the old Kenton Hotel on North Interstate Avenue, according to a joint announcement Friday from homeless services nonprofit Do Good Multnomah and Multnomah County.
Do Good Multnomah, which is run by and focuses on serving veterans, purchased the old motel with the help of a $500,000 forgivable loan from Multnomah County and a gift from the Portland-based Thayer Family Foundation, according to their spokesperson. Do Good also took out a commercial loan.
The nonprofit runs six low-barrier shelters in Multnomah County that are open to anyone in need of a safe place to sleep. But the new shelter will specifically house 17 guests, all of whom must stay sober to keep their housing and have a record of past military experience, which can include National Guard service…