The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to spend up to $1.2 million over the next year to rent 53 rooms at a Gresham motel to serve as a family shelter for adults with minor children .

“Motels are a trauma-informed shelter option, especially for families,” said Anna Plumb, interim director of the county’s Homeless Services Department. “In a motel shelter, kids can close the door and do their homework. A parent who’s had to work all day can get a good night’s sleep so they’re well-rested when they go back to work the next day. If a child is sick, they have a bed to sleep in and recover.”

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