The voter-approved tax that Bethany-area residents pay into has produced a new homeless shelter in nearby Aloha. The permanent 60-pod village will house up to 70 people by the end of 2026.

Washington County and Metro dedicated Next Step Community on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at a site off Southwest 209th Street in Aloha. The Supportive Housing Services (SHS) measure, approved by greater Portland voters in May 2020, funded the project's full $3.695 million cost, according to Washington County. Annual operations will draw on a $1.5 million yearly budget supported primarily by Oregon Housing and Community Services.

The county's Department of Housing Services purchased the property in December 2025 to replace a temporary pod village with a permanent, purpose-built site. Construction began in March 2026. The Housing Authority of Washington County owns the site, with Pallet Shelters providing the pod units and Gore Electric serving as general contractor.

Open Door HousingWorks, a Hillsboro nonprofit selected through a competitive process, will operate the village with round-the-clock staff. The operator will maintain dedicated phone and email channels for neighborhood communication.

Washington County District 1 Commissioner Nafisa Fai said a 2025 point-in-time count found 800 people experiencing homelessness in the county, a figure she said did not capture everyone, as reported by the Hillsboro News-Times.

"In 2021, we had no year-round adult shelter beds. Today, we have more than 400," Fai said at the dedication.

The SHS measure has moved more than 16,000 people from homelessness to housing across the tri-county region since 2020, according to Metro officials. It has also provided eviction prevention to more than 20,000 households.

In Washington County alone, more than 3,000 households have moved out of homelessness or housing instability since the SHS program launched in 2021, according to county records. As of January 2026, more than 1,700 households were waiting for a housing referral in the county.

The county and Open Door worked with neighbors throughout early and mid-2026 to develop a Good Neighbor Agreement covering safety, communication and livability. Camping near the site remains prohibited under the county's Time, Place and Manner Policy.

The village will offer meals, restrooms, showers, case management, a gathering tent and on-site parking. Residents will move in by the end of 2026.