MCCAC Acquires the Oregon Motor Motel for $3.25 Million
The Oregon Motor Hotel sits at 200 W 2nd St in downtown The Dalles, across from The Dalles Post Office. Photo Credit: Robin Denning
Updated: February 10th, 2023
By Cole Goodwin
The Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) has acquired the Oregon Motor Motel, located on the edge of downtown The Dalles, Oregon, with the aim of converting it into transitional housing and shelter. The $3.25 million acquisition was made possible through a $4.27 million grant from the Project Turnkey 2.0 program, which MCCAC applied for at the end of the summer of 2022.
The goal of Project Turnkey is to provide Oregon communities with resources to acquire hotels and motels that can be quickly converted into shelter or transitional housing. The project is a partnership of the Oregon Community Foundation, Oregon Housing & Community Services, the Oregon Legislature, and a statewide Advisory Committee.
The renovation of the 54-room motor lodge is expected to bring 100 new beds and much-needed family shelter to the community, while also revitalizing the downtown.
"The acquisition of the Oregon Motor Motel is a huge win for our communities as the site will provide critical housing and shelter capacity while also revitalizing the entry to the downtown core,” said MCCAC Executive Director, Kenny LaPoint. “This is such an exciting project that we believe will help reduce houselessness by 50%* while also turning a rundown hotel into a community asset.”
*The aquisition and renovations are expected to reduce houselessness by 50% in the three county service area of Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties.
Suites which have a kitchen, multiple beds, and bathroom facilities, will be used to house families that are currently experiencing houselessnes. Photo Credit: Robin Denning
MCCAC has renamed the motel "The Annex" and has plans to complete nearly $1.5 million in renovations to the facility using the remaining grant dollars and weatherization funds. The agency hopes to open The Annex as housing and transitional shelter by the middle of 2023.
The Annex will provide housing and shelter in partnership with several local organizations, including the Mid-Columbia Center for Living, The Next Door, the Oregon Human Development Corporation, and others. Each of these agencies will provide on-site services to residents, who will be former houseless and housing unstable community members. The site will be staffed 24/7 and include two resident managers and overnight security.
MCCAC will also require adherence to the following rules based on best practices:
MCCAC’s programs, including the Navigation Center Annex, do not serve individuals who are under sex offender registration requirements or who have been convicted of arson.
MCCAC does not allow the use of drugs or alcohol at its program locations or offices and strictly prohibits weapons and violence of any kind. In addition, units are inspected regularly to ensure they are kept clean, safe, and healthy.
Clients must be on shelter premises between the hours of 10p.m.-6:30 a.m. This applies to both emergency and transitional shelter. Exceptions may be granted for curfew hours if shelter guests have received approval from shelter management for employment-based reasons for not being on-site during these hours. Employment-based reasons require a letter from the employer stating the work schedule of the shelter client.
Project Turnkey clients will be trespassed from the site for non-compliance with site rules.
MCCAC's mission is to build a better future for the community through programs that prevent and eliminate poverty and houselessness. For more information on MCCAC's plans for The Annex, visit www.mccac.com/project-turnkey.
Photo Gallery: An Inside Look at the Facilities at Oregon Motor Hotel
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