Multnomah County officials plan to convert the longtime headquarters of its sheriff's office into a temporary homeless shelter.

The sheriff's office moved into the Hansen Building -- at NE 122nd Avenue and Glisan Street -- in 1976 under the assumption it was short-term stay.

Forty years later, its moving out of a building that was never built to house law enforcement officers. And as many as 200 homeless people will be replacing them by the end of the month.

"With the unprecedented need for shelter and housing space for people who are homeless, we need to be looking and thinking outside the box," said Dave Austin, a county spokesman. "We need to be looking for places that are either surplus buildings we have or buildings where we can think creatively."

On July 15, about 40 sheriff's deputies will temporarily move to the Portland Police Bureau's former Southeast Precinct building at East Burnside Street and 47th Avenue.

Portland police officers use only about half the office, Police Chief Mike Marshman said. The sheriff's office will use the remaining space.

"The operations we do have out of the Southeast Precinct will stay the same," he said Wednesday at a news conference. "The impact to the police bureau is essentially minimal, if any at all."

The county has yet to find or construct a permanent home for the sheriff's office, something expected to cost $18 million to $22 million. A guide to the project posted on the county's website said it hopes identify land for the new headquarters by 2019.

The sheriff's office move-out date comes a week before Portland's Peace Shelter, a downtown shelter that houses about 260, is scheduled to close, Austin said, adding "we need to find a place for these folks."

The Peace Shelter, in a building owned by the Menashe family at Southwest Fourth Avenue and Washington Street, opened this year. It expanded in May to take on people moved out of a shelter in the Portland-owned Jerome Sears facility.

The Peace Shelter is operated by Transition Projects, the same group that will take charge of this new shelter.

But Austin said there's a reason the county wanted to get the sheriff's headquarters out of the Hansen Building, built as a health clinic in 1956. It's seismically unsafe and doesn't meet modern building code -- and has spots with with black mold and asbestos.

Marc Jolin, director of the city- and county-funded Office of Homeless Services, said all the environment issues have been abated. On a tour of the building Wednesday, officials showed off asbestos-clad pipes that have been covered with wrapping.

"It's not intended as a long-term, permanent shelter," Jolin said, "but we believe it's safe for people who will be staying there."

Multnomah County to open homeless shelter in Hansen Building 6 Gallery: Multnomah County to open homeless shelter in Hansen Building

But two county commissioners believe these safety issues shouldn't be ignored. In a letter to County Chair Deborah Kafoury Wednesday, they note the building is "the lowest rated building in the entire inventory of County facilities."

Commissioner Loretta Smith and Commissioner Diane McKeel argue that the lack of sprinklers, sewer fly infestation, poor toilet facilities - among other issues - make the place unfit for a homeless shelter.

"We should not squander the opportunity to move our employees out of the building only to move less fortunate people in," the letter reads.

Instead, the two commissioners asked the county to instead "openly discuss and consider" the unused Wapato jail as a homeless shelter.

But Kafoury has often said that's unfeasible based on location alone - it's 11 miles from downtown Portland and 23 miles from downtown Gresham.

"People can't get downtown for job interviews or to look at apartment rentals," she said.

County officials are assessing the building for renovations, and Austin said it'll take roughly $140,000 to do minor repairs. Annual operating costs will be closer to $1.3 million, but the county isn't sure how long it'll remain open. For now, they're just taking advantage of a space that became available.

"The Hansen Building is a welcome addition to our community's capacity to offer a decent, safe place to sleep at night for people who literally have no better options," said George Devendorf, Transition Projects' executive director.

People currently sleeping at the Peace Shelter will get first priority for beds at the Hansen Building, Devendorf said. That's primarily women, couples and men over 55, specifically those with disabilities or who are veterans. They'll also do their "best to accommodate those in the area surrounding the Hansen Building."

The building has four wings on each of its two floors, with men's and women's bathrooms in each wing. There are also multiple locker rooms and shower spaces. Pets will be allowed.

During the day, Transition Projects staff will direct people to city services to help them off the streets permanently.

"While a shelter can provide refuge from the rain and danger from the street, it is not a permanent home," Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury said Wednesday.

County and city officials will hold an informational community meeting Thursday at 6:30 in the Hansen Building. The meeting is a chance to address some neighbors' concerns about opening a shelter in the area.

Mia Gonzales lives in a studio apartment a few blocks from the sheriff's headquarters. But before that, her and her husband were homeless for about four months.

"We could never get into a shelter," the 33-year-old woman said. "A place like this would've been great."

- Talia Richman

trichman@oregonian.com

@TaliRichman