The Lighthouse, a care and support facility for people experiencing houselessness in Bend, temporarily moved into a new location to allow access to daytime services during a renovation project. The Lighthouse Navigation Center moved its services down the street into the old Blue Dog RV facility along Franklin Avenue and Second Street, offering services daily from 7am to 5pm.
The Lighthouse is run by local nonprofit Shepherd’s House Ministries. In September, Shepherd’s House announced it was remodeling The Lighthouse facility, transforming the former open-concept thrift store into a fully functional navigation center, offering showers, access to laundry, a commercial kitchen and larger, updated bathrooms.
Shepherd’s House partnered with the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council and the City of Bend to utilize this new, temporary facility.
According to Evan Hendrix, director of navigation services, construction on The Lighthouse started on Monday, Sept. 20 and is expected to take 14 months. The Lighthouse will continue to offer overnight shelter but has reduced its capacity from 100 beds down to 50. This past winter, The Lighthouse saw about 125 people per night on average, according to Hendrix.
Shepherd’s House also partnered with the Franklin Avenue shelter, the former Rainbow Motel, in September, which recently amended its contract to allow for more capacity, giving people other opportunities for overnight shelters. In previous reporting from the Source, Hendrix estimated that the Franklin shelter could allow Shepherd’s House to relocate 40-45 individuals.
This article appears in Source Weekly November 16, 2023.
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There are beds at Bethlehem Inn for those houseless folks who are willing to be held accountable and create positive change in their lives instead of just getting a band-aid daily.