PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Two people are suspected to have died from hypothermia during Multnomah County’s recent winter storm, and while it is currently unknown if they were homeless, with the number of people living on the streets, people are wondering if the county should change its threshold for opening warming shelters.
So far, there is no clear answer to that question from the county.
With the current threshold, Multnomah County opens warming shelters when the temperature drops to 25 degrees or 32 degrees with rain.
Clackamas County opens its warming centers when temperatures or the wind chill reaches 33 degrees and Clark county opens them when temperatures drop to 30 degrees or lower.
KOIN 6 News sent Multnomah County a list of questions, including asking if they could explain the justification for opening shelters at those temperatures.
KOIN 6 also asked if leaders have met to assess the county’s response to the storm and what they learned that could be done better in the future.
Scott Kerman with the nonprofit Blanchet House acknowledged all the work that goes into opening temporary shelters but wonders if the threshold for opening shelters should be re-evaluated.
“Just 25 degrees or 32 degrees with driving perception just seems like a very high bar to me, Kerman said. “You know it’s cold for people, 28 degrees even if there’s not precipitation it’s cold and dangerous for people out here.”
The office of Portland mayor Ted Wheeler did get back to us today, making clear the county would need to respond about who could amend the threshold.
The statement from the mayor’s office also said the thresholds are not static and have been adapted in recent years to make them more flexible.
Julia Comnes, the communications coordinator for Multnomah County, said “they have been updated in recent years to make them more flexible. We made several changes just this year, as our statement referenced, and are continuously working to improve.”
Comnes said five people filled 180 shifts to provide transportation to shelters for 915 people through the morning of Feb. 26.
The city’s after action plan, Comnes said, will provide an opportunity for the city to reflect on what went well and didn’t for the future.
“There is always an after-action process after every emergency, and there are always things that went well and things that can be improved upon,” Comnes said. “Due to the recency of the event, we are still gathering information, including from staff and volunteers, to get a full picture of how our response could be improved in the future.”