The city of Portland is planning to contract with two nearby hotels to house nearly 200 asylum seekers when the temporary shelter at the Expo building closes next week.
City spokesperson Jessica Grondin said the goal is to give city staff and partner organizations more time to find long-term housing arrangements for these families.
"This is just a stopgap for those who are at the Expo currently," she said. "So this is not something we're looking to sustain long term."
Grondin said the hotels would likely be contracted for periods ranging from a couple months to one year. Lodging would be paid for through municipal general assistance funds.
The city opened the Expo as a temporary family shelter in April, and has been working to rehouse families before an Aug. 16 deadline. At its peak, the shelter was hosting around 300 individuals.
