Home Building Foundation’s Project Manager Chris McDowell locked up the newly painted red front door of AnyDoor Place, culminating more than a year of remodeling. HBF’s work at the old home in downtown Newberg was spearheaded by Builder Captain Nathan Young, and involved many tradespeople from the residential building community. Staff of YCAP, Yamhill Community Action Partnership, came to take a look at the end of November. YCAP’s Laverne Pitts says “The house is looking fantastic, and we appreciate the work the Home Building Foundation has put into making the space functional and welcoming”.

YCAP staff tour

Community Wellness Collective, which formerly operated the facility, asked HBF’s to help fix wear and tear from 30 years of use as a shelter. HBF’s McDowell recruited Jordan Allen and Casey Keasler with Casework, a local interior design firm, who donated their time to help selecting new finishes and colors. A once cluttered and cramped kitchen now has cool blue cabinets, soft Marmoleum floors, durable quartz countertops, and brand- new appliances.Budget Blinds McMinnville, RidgeCrest Custom Cabinetry, Galaxy Stone Works, Fireclay Tile and Eastbank Contractor Appliances donated finishes for the new kitchen and laundry area. Fireside Home Solutions added one final touch by donating an electric fireplace to make the common area warm and comforting. Bank of the West provided a $10,000 grant to help purchase materials.

AnyDoor kitchen before

Kitchen complete

YCAP will operate the facility as AnyDoor Place, and initially provide emergency housing for up to 16 people experiencing homelessness. There are bunk bed rooms for families upstairs, while individuals will be housed downstairs. During the day, a case manager will provide services such as connecting people to housing, and counseling. Residents will be able to use a new laundry room, renovated showers, and computer desks. During the remodeling, a decision was made to move administrative services outdoors to a new modular unit, which was commissioned to be built by Young’s MOD’s PDX. When the modular is installed in the spring of 2024, the shelter can bump up its overnight capacity to 24 guests.

Previous HBF Project:

HBF worked on the facility for the first time back in 2015. Then known as Harvest House, the house was the only family shelter in Yamhill County. Like many service providers, YCAP struggled to pay to maintain its facilities. YCAP’s former Executive Director Lee Means said “The siding was really decrepit. The paint was peeling, and we had concerns about lead paint. It wasn't going to do any good to repaint it because the siding is so old. It's just deteriorating". HBF volunteers came to the rescue, providing lead paint abatement, as well as new siding and windows.

Harvest House circa 2015

YCAP has come a long way since then. The organization now operates the Yamhill Coordinated Entry Program. Along with the Newberg Anydoor Place, they operate a second AnyDoor facility in McMinnville. These two navigation centers house people temporarily. YCAP purchased an old Motel 6 in McMinnville, where people can move to after sheltering at AnyDoor Place. The funding to purchase the motel came from Oregon’s Turnkey Program, which was developed during the pandemic. Organizations statewide received funding to purchase hotels and motels to help ease the housing shortage. YCAP’s says its system allows people to remove barriers, and safely exit into stable housing.

Built for the Future:

The improved Newberg facility features trauma-informed design with a palette of soothing colors. YCAP purchased furnishings that include fun perches for children, functional desks, and cozy seating space where people can rest. HBF constructed a new wheelchair ramp, featuring reclaimed wood to match the existing flooring, allowing the space to meet ADA accessibility requirements.

New bunk room

Reclaimed wood ramp

Living space

The refreshed AnyDoor Place Newberg will provide a vital community resource once the modular office space is complete. YCAP tells us its case managers and partner agencies such as Provoking Hope, Unidos Bridging Community, Oregon Human Development Corporation, Yamhill County HHS, and other physical, mental, and behavioral healthcare providers will be able to meet with guests in the modular office outside and in meeting spaces indoors.

YCAP’s Pitt’s says this well-designed facility communicates to their guests that they are valued; “Walking into the space and feeling happy to be there is the first step to building trust and helping someone move from homelessness and into stable housing”. HBF thanks the professionals in the residential construction industry who offered their expertise to provide people restored hope.

If you’d like to offer your time or materials to an HBF project, please contact Chris McDowell, Chrism@hbapdx.org.

Opening Doors

Thanks for the Memories

HBF Hero: Taylor Wick