LiFEBoat Services has expanded operations at an overnight shelter for the homeless on Commercial Street to seven nights a week.

The nonprofit began offering a year-round, low-barrier shelter three nights a week in February. Since then, Osarch Orak, the nonprofit’s executive director, said they’ve tripled their staff.

The shelter is now open every night — 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. — on a first-come, first-served basis.

Orak said he sees low-barrier shelters, which are intended to reduce hurdles like requirements for sobriety or participation in social services, as an important first step in addressing homelessness.

“We need to meet people where they’re at with our low-barrier services,” he said. “We believe in our hearts that is how we’re going to turn the tides and change what’s happening, get people off the street, into housing, into treatment, into mental health care services.”

For the past several years, Clatsop County has had among the highest per capita rates of homelessness in the state. LiFEBoat’s shelter comes as a long-anticipated addition to the region’s existing network of resources. Capacity is 22 people, but Orak said anyone can come for meals and showers in the evening and coffee and a light breakfast in the morning.

LiFEBoat also oversees Filling Empty Bellies navigation services and Beacon Peer Support.

In December, the nonprofit suspended daytime navigation services at the Commercial Street location to allow for the construction of the overnight shelter. Those services have yet to resume. The hope is to eventually move meals, showers and other services to the nonprofit’s secondary location at First United Methodist Church on Franklin Avenue so they can offer 24/7 services — but at this point, Orak said funding is an obstacle.

Last year, the state awarded LiFEBoat $1.25 million, which it can access by submitting reimbursement requests to the county. LiFEBoat has used a portion of the money to get its shelter up and running. The funding is specifically intended for overnight shelter beds, however, which means LiFEBoat can’t be reimbursed for daytime navigation services, Assistant County Manager Monica Steele said in an email.

Orak said it would take at least $40,000 to get daytime services going at the Franklin Avenue location.

“We’re extremely passionate about what we do, and all we want to do is help our participants and help our community because, ultimately, that’s what it will do,” he said.