211info extends hours and expands role for winter

The winter season brings different challenges for Oregonians and Southwest Washingtonians – especially for those experiencing homelessness.

In response, 211info extends operational hours in Multnomah County thanks to funding from Multnomah County government and from the City of Portland. We also help coordinate information across the rest of our service area during extreme weather.

How to hear from us

• Dial 211 – It is free and available from most phones in our service areas
• Twitter - Get breaking information the minute it happens by subscribing to our blog or twitter feed.
• Email - Sign up for our email alerts to get information during severe weather.

Change of normal hours

• Monday-Friday, from 8am to 6pm 211info staff will be performing their normal duties of answering calls from around Oregon and Southwest Washington and providing referral services based on the callers need.
• Monday-Friday, from 6pm-7pm 211info staff will be providing referral services to Multnomah County callers only.
• Saturdays and Sundays, from 8am-7pm Multnomah County callers seeking shelter services will be fielded.

Severe weather response

In the event that the Portland Housing Bureau calls a severe weather alert, 211info will change its role based on the level of alert.

On the verge of severe weather conditions

• There will be no change to call center operating procedures.
• 211info notifies public through website, email and social media channels that no severe weather has been called.
• 211info will publish online tracking document with shelter bed availability.

Severe weather is called

• 211info will expand hours, providing shelter referral services from 7pm to midnight for the duration of the alert.
• 211 will coordinate with homeless service providers
• 211 will disseminate alert information to the public through call center, website, email and social media.
• Portland Housing Bureau will provide 211 with ongoing updates which 211info will publicize.

Four consecutive days of severe weather 

• 211info will operate 24 hours a day for the duration of the alert.

The City of Portland will do its best to declare the severe weather alert status and notify providers by 2pm on the day of the anticipated alert.
Systems

Donations

211info will act as a central point of contact to notify the public about winter shelters' oneeds for donations. Last year, with help from many generous Portlanders, 211info was able to raise more than 1,000 blankets in less than 24 hours.

Winter shelter system

During the winter months (Nov. 1 - March 31) the Portland Housing Bureau works with local service providers to expand shelter services (not including domestic violence shelters) to those experiencing homelessness. Approximately 240 additional beds become available (this is in addition to the already existing 430 beds offered by various shelter providers), including two additional shelters to serve men and women respectively. 

Family shelter to housing program

In addition to the winter shelter services, a team of local services providers has grouped to expand shelter services to families experiencing homelessness during the winter months (Nov. 1-April 30). With the already existing 165 beds offered for families, they have expanded their services offering an additional 68 beds, with the Family Winter Shelter acting as the primary entry point to the system.

This year 211info will be providing placement services for Common Cup Shelter, an eight-bed family shelter. The number of families Common Cup can accept is limited to the number of beds available. 211info staff will be tracking bed space and placing families needing shelter as space permits.