The city of Portland is moving ahead with a $47 million shelter and services project known as the Resource Access Center. It's the largest efforts underway to solve the city's notorious homelessness problem.
"The Resource Access Center, a $47 million complex that will provide affordable housing and a shelter and services for homeless people, is the focal point of a 10-year plan to end homelessness here. The eight-story, 106,000-square-foot center, which will open next year, is expected to help catalyze development in the north end of Old Town/Chinatown, a neglected area that supporters say is poised for significant growth.
'The R.A.C. will be at an intersection of our education system, transportation system and economic development laboratory,' said Nick Fish, a city commissioner who oversees the Portland Housing Bureau, which works on behalf of low-income residents. 'It will be a showcase for the city.'"
By including shelter space, homeless services and job opportunities, officials in Portland hope the complex will not only provide a place for the city's homeless to go, but also a route out of homelessness.
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