Note: Those looking to make a reservation at the shelter can call 24/7 at 503-280-4776.

Portland’s newest homeless shelter features an on-site medical clinic, a stainless-steel kitchen, a laundry room – and even an outdoor area for people to walk their pets.

The Laurelwood Center, a 120-bed adult-only space for women and couples, will open Thursday after nearly two years of planning and development.

The Southeast Portland shelter at the corner of Foster Road and 61st Avenue is part of a countywide push to build longer-lasting, bigger-capacity spaces that provide services beyond just a place to sleep, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said at an open house at the Laurelwood Center Monday evening.

“We’re changing the way shelter works – people can bring their pets, their partners, their possessions, and they don’t have to line up night after night,” Wheeler said. “We’ve brought together the shelter component with the service component, to make sure that people get whatever help they need to get off and stay off the streets.”

The shelter faced opposition from neighborhood groups when it was first proposed in December 2017. Residents of the Foster-Powell area said the proposed location was too close to schools, homes and a library and community center that lie within a mile of the new building.

But in designing the space, the city and county’s Joint Office of Homeless Services worked with neighborhood groups to ensure that local voices were heard, Multnomah County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson said Monday. The organization tried a new approach, forming a steering committee and taking input from local residents, Vega Pederson said.

“It wasn’t always a completely smooth process, but I am proud to say we maintained mutual respect and trust throughout our time together,” Vega Pederson said.

The Laurelwood Center represents a more service-oriented model of shelter operation, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said at the center's open house.Diana Kruzman (Staff)

One result of this process was a Good Neighbor Agreement released in October, which set guidelines for the shelter operator – nonprofit Transition Projects – to address community concerns such as littering, crowds and smoking in the vicinity.

Stacy Borke, a program director at Transition Projects, said she hoped the process would serve as a model for building future shelters.

“We’re thinking, how do we do it better next time and keep building on this idea that you can have dissenting opinions come together and still have a product that you’re really proud of?” Borke said.

The Laurelwood Center joins a number of new shelter openings and restructurings this year.

Lilac Meadows, a 40-room family shelter on Southeast Powell Boulevard, opened in June, and the Portland Homeless Family Solutions shelter, a 26-room space in Lents, is set to open later this year. And Later this month, the Joint Office of Homeless Services and nonprofit Harbor of Hope plan to open the River District Navigation Center, a 24-hour shelter in Northwest Portland.

But some shelters, such as the Salvation Army women’s shelter downtown, have closed, while others have shifted their residents to new locations. Overall, officials expect a slight increase in the number of shelter beds available by the end of the summer.

The shelter features a new kitchen where staff and volunteers will prepare onsite meals for residents.Diana Kruzman (Staff)

The changes come as the city and county work to address the growing number of people sleeping outdoors.

Despite a drop in the actual number of people who identified as homeless, 20% more people in Multnomah County are without shelter in 2019 compared to 2017. That leaves about 2,000 people sleeping “outdoors, in public spaces, vehicles and places not meant for human habitation,” according to the 2019 Point-in-Time homeless count.

The Laurelwood Center aims to steer some unsheltered people, who might not be allowed into other spaces due to partners or pets, toward services such as short- and long-term housing referrals, employment assistance and health treatment.

The center will operate on a reservation basis and plans to accept 20 people per day until all the beds are filled, Borke said. Priority will be given to people who are currently experiencing homelessness in the Foster-Powell neighborhood before county agencies start referring people from other areas to the shelter. People who are 55 and older, have disabilities or are veterans will also be prioritized.

UPDATED Aug. 13 to clarify that the Portland Homeless Family Solutions shelter has not yet opened.

-- Diana Kruzman; dkruzman@oregonian.com; 503-221-5394; @DKruzman