PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Not everyone is pleased with the fact that a new overnight homeless shelter, the NW Northrup Shelter off of Northwest 14th Avenue and Northrup Street, will be opening up in the Pearl District in a month’s time. At least one apartment complex tells us they’re already anticipating having to reduce rent significantly.
“We’ve had two people that were concerned about renewing the lease because of the shelter and the location. Unfortunately, the door to the shelter is less than 15 yards away from one of our doors,” said Paul Rudinsky, a manager at MRCD, which operates the Oro Apartments right next door to the site of the shelter. “Our management team that has talked to us has said that there will be a reduction in our rents, and they were anticipating a significant reduction. And every developer that’s built apartments in the Pearl District is either underwater right now or barely at a breakeven.”
The shelter is a low-barrier shelter, i.e., it is an easier shelter to get a spot into than others. Rudinsky says that shelters should instead be put in industrial or mixed use areas so that people can get the help that they need, all while preserving the residential communities…