Fighting for a New Life in Portland’s Clinton Triangle Shelter: Charlene Brown’s Story

Aiming to provide an alternative solution for homeless individuals in Portland, Oregon, the Clinton Triangle occupies a large area between the railroad tracks and Southeast Powell Boulevard, in the neighborhood for which it is named. The shelter has provided a temporary home for many, such as Charlene Brown, who spent the last seven months in one of the 160 10-by-10-foot pods.

Clinton Triangle: Hopes and Disappointments

In the process, Charlene adopted a dog named Charlie and made new friends. But the shelter was also the place where she almost lost her life. Two months earlier, Brown had nearly died from an overdose of methamphetamine containing fentanyl. During the incident, shelter staff had to resuscitate Brown six times using naloxone (Narcan).

After this incident, Brown began living a fully sober life and attending weekly recovery meetings. But the process has not been easy. Because Clinton Triangle is a low-barrier shelter, sobriety is not required to stay there. This presents many challenges for individuals like Brown in recovery.

Obstacles on the Road to Recovery

Charlene expresses the irony by saying, “The first thing you learn in recovery is that you have to change your environment, but I’m still living where I overdosed.” She notes that many people around her continue to use drugs, which is detrimental to her recovery.

Leaders of the Clinton Triangle shelter say that the success of their program lies in providing residents with the supports they need at the appropriate times. But as long-term funding for housing and addiction treatment programs has become harder to find in Portland, such support is not always enough.

A Contested Start and Ongoing Challenges

The shelter was announced by Mayor Ted Wheeler in late 2022 as part of a highly controversial plan to ban street camping across the city. The shelter, operated by Urban Alchemy, opened for business in July 2023. The organization is known for providing jobs for people with histories of homelessness and addiction, but has been accused of sexual harassment and staff theft in the past.

Harm Reduction Policies

Unlike many other local shelters, Clinton Triangle does not enforce strict rules such as no pets, no cohabitation, and no curfews. Thanks to these policies, more people are able to access the shelter and try to improve their circumstances. However, many of the shelter’s residents are known to continue using drugs in their pods, which poses serious challenges for individuals seeking recovery.

For residents like Charlene Brown, Clinton Triangle remains both a source of hope and a space where various challenges must be overcome. “I’m just waiting,” Brown adds, “nervously waiting for the day when my life changes.” While these complex dynamics of the Clinton Triangle offer an alternative way for Portland to combat homelessness, they also show that the way such shelters are managed needs to be significantly improved.