Shelter First policy implementation
Summary
The city is hiring its first homeless liaison under the Shelter First policy to connect unsheltered residents with services and shelter providers.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 9
- Last 30 days
- 2
Discussed at 2 meetings in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 26, 2026.
Impact analysis
About $66,000 per year for roughly 30 hours of weekly service.
Unsheltered residents gain a dedicated connection to shelter and services; neighborhoods gain coordinated outreach.
Some council members and residents worry people excluded from shelters could face repeated 72-hour trespasses and arrests without their underlying situation improving.
Mentions & discussions (11)
City Council Work Session - Oct 26, 2026
Last winter's warming shelter cost about $1,600 a night but served only 3-4 overnight guests. Council is leaning toward one final limited season while pressing neighboring cities and nonprofits to take it over.
City Council - Oct 5, 2026
Staff reported the shelter-first policy is working, with 24+ people entering shelter during the transition period, but councilors noted renewed accumulation of personal items downtown. Storage lockers arrive within two weeks, and a full report to council is promised by November or December.
City Council - Aug 3, 2026
The city is hiring its first homeless liaison under the Shelter First policy to connect unsheltered residents with services and shelter providers.
City Council - Jul 20, 2026
Early numbers under the new camping rules look promising — no arrests and more people accepting shelter beds — but the homeless coordinator isn't hired yet, and critics say enforcement started too soon.
City Council - Jun 22, 2026
A resident sharply criticized the council's approach to homelessness, opposing a proposal for nine shelter pods that could cost about $45,000 plus $2,000 monthly in services, and urging the city to instead hire a homeless liaison, work with existing providers, and enforce camping rules.
City Council - Jun 15, 2026
A resident reported problems at the LiFEBoat shelter — short showers, disability access issues, and safety concerns — and called for more shelter options for women, couples, and people with disabilities or pets. A state mediation is set for August.
City Council - Jun 2, 2026
The rewritten camping code makes a shelter-first policy explicit, ties enforcement to shelter availability, allows case-by-case exemptions, caps fines at $35, and adds a legal trespass step before arrest. It's one piece of a four-part homelessness strategy including a homeless liaison, shelter options, and regional coordination.
Astoria City Council eyes another run at homeless response
Astoria City Council eyes another run at homeless response Your Oregon News
City Council - May 18, 2026
Residents split sharply: business owners and nearby residents want existing camping and nuisance ordinances enforced and repeat offenders held accountable, while others argue homelessness shouldn't be criminalized and services need to be more trauma-informed and individualized. A work session on the city's homelessness response followed the meeting.
City Council Work Session - May 18, 2026
Astoria is considering a coordinated, four-part strategy to move people from sidewalks into shelter: a contracted Homeless Liaison, secure dry storage for belongings, a small community-based shelter pilot, and a real-time countywide shelter bed network. It pairs services with a reworked Camping Code that prioritizes shelter before allowing public camping — supporters call it a compromise; skeptics worry about enforcement workload and staff burnout.
Astoria goes back to the drawing board on homeless response
Astoria goes back to the drawing board on homeless response The Daily Astorian
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