Benton County is now seeking an operator for a supported transitional housing unit, with the first location expected to begin serving residents in January of 2027.
The county has said the project will use an existing city-owned house near NW 10th and Harrison to help people move from homelessness towards more permanent housing.
“There is a need for more units of supported transitional housing for people exiting homelessness,” Rebecca Taylor, program manager for the county’s Coordinated Homeless Response Office, said in an October 15th announcement.
Procurement listings published by OregonBids and Govly identify 940 NW Harrison Blvd. as the “mandatory bidder walkthrough location” for the project. The address specifically comes from those procurement listings. The county’s public project page identifies the location only by the intersection.
(Photo: 940 NW Harrison/The Corvallis Inquirer)
The program is all about individuals and families who need more support than an ordinary shelter can provide. Residents of the program receive temporary housing while working on plans to secure permanent homes or another longer-term arrangement that fits their needs.
Listings say the selected operator will manage daily onsite operations and coordinate with organizations providing housing assistance, medical care, behavioral health services, and other support.
Residents enter the program through referrals from local service partners. Stays will be time-limited, although the county’s public project page does not specify a maximum duration.
The transitional housing approach is described by the county as low barrier, and its main intention is to accommodate people who may have difficulty entering more restrictive programs.
In its proposed 2025–27 biennial budget presentation, the county health department identified dedicated grant funding for an objective that included expanding supported rehousing and partnering with the City of Corvallis to use at least 15 publicly owned housing units by June 30, 2027.
It should be mentioned that this figure refers to housing “units”, rather than 15 separate properties. City council records identify the Harrison location as a city-owned housing project intended to operate through a master lease with Benton County.
The county would coordinate services, with a contracted provider managing onsite operations. The budget presentation does not provide a property-by-property breakdown of the 15-unit target.
The county’s October announcement and project FAQ do not provide a site-specific annual operating budget or resident capacity for this specific location.
The next step being taken is selecting an operator. Procurement listings give a proposal deadline of November 19th.
This article was written by Brian Lindensmith, a contributor to The Corvallis Inquirer. Feel free to send us your stories or articles to publish at: editor@corvallisnow.com
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There are two non-profts in Corvallis that would be well suited: COI, and Unity - which runs both the Women's and Men's shelters. Both are free of religion, and also they are both very "inclusive".