Sunstone Way and Multnomah County are proud to announce the opening of the Delta Park Motel Shelter in North Portland. Located on North Schmeer Road, the former Motel 6 will now act as a shelter for unhoused adults. With 60 private units and the capacity to serve up to 70 individuals, this 24/7 shelter offers comprehensive wrap-around services aimed at supporting people experiencing homelessness as they stabilize, heal, and move toward permanent housing.
Andy Goebel, CEO of Sunstone Way remarked, “We’ll soon be offering Sunstone Way’s wrap-around services to up to 70 participants at this 24/7 site. This isn’t just about providing a roof — it’s about creating a space where people feel safe, supported, and connected to a dedicated team that truly sees them. I’m especially grateful that this shelter is opening in my own North Portland neighborhood — a place I love and call home. I know the kind of impact this can have for folks who’ve been out in the elements or navigating systems alone. Delta Park will be a place to reset, to heal, and to move forward — and I’m proud that Sunstone Way gets to walk alongside people as they do so.”
The Delta Park Motel Shelter builds on the successful model pioneered at Sunstone Way’s other locations. With a trauma-informed, participant-centered approach, the shelter is designed to provide both immediate stability and long-term opportunities.
Sunstone Way is committed to reimagining shelter as a place of possibility, not just survival. The Delta Park Motel Shelter marks another milestone in that vision — right in the heart of the community it seeks to serve.
“All of us deserve safety and dignity — and many people in our community face barriers to making this kind of life possible,” said Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “These are investments that continue to grow a coordinated system to move people from the streets to safety, and eventually into a home of their own.”
In late 2024, the County Board of Commissioners approved a block lease of the motel with the intention of it serving as the new location for the Urban League of Portland’s Jamii Center, a motel shelter in North Portland that prioritizes older adults living with a chronic illness or disability who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).
However, in the months since, the Urban League informed the County it was reimagining the Jamii program and would no longer use the property. To ensure the Schmeer Road motel would continue to serve people seeking shelter, the County worked urgently to find another provider who could open a program in the space as soon as possible.
“We’re grateful to Sunstone Way for acting with urgency and answering our call to open the shelter as soon as possible,” said Anna Plumb, deputy director of the Homeless Services Department (formerly Joint Office of Homeless Services). “This shelter will be more than just a safe place to sleep; it will be an entry point to longer term stability.”
While the new shelter will serve a general adult population, the County is committed to developing a program designed to serve Black, African and African American adults experiencing homelessness to replace the services that were offered by the Jamii program. Funding for such culturally specific programs are included in the adopted budget for the Homeless Services Department for FY 2025-26.
The Delta Park Motel Shelter is the latest project made possible with funding from the Metro Supportive Housing Services measure. That funding is going toward the lease and on-site services.
The County and Sunstone Way have been engaging with the neighboring business community to help ensure the shelter’s success. Sunstone Way, Multnomah County and the neighboring businesses have all signed a Good Neighbor Agreement.
The Delta Park shelter will begin accepting self-referrals soon. Those interested in shelter can learn more on Sunstone Way’s website, www.sunstoneway.org.
