Letter: Advocate seeks state intervention on shelter issue
Published 10:10 am Friday, December 19, 2025
An open letter to Gov. Tina Kotek:
I am writing to request your assistance in how we might resolve this issue. As a former professional fiduciary and nationally certified guardian for mentally ill, homeless, veteran, elderly and traumatic brain injury clients, I have grave concerns as to the abject cruelty displayed by our city leadership in their arbitrary refusal to open the emergency shelter in this inclement weather, with an active flood advisory.
As you know, Clatsop County is the number one homeless county per capita in Oregon. We are doing our best to share actionable steps with the city to chart a course to correction and beneficial solution for all stakeholders. However, we seem to be running into some roadblocks that could use a compassionate nudge.
I would like to respectfully report that the City of Astoria is refusing to open its emergency warming shelter during dangerous weather conditions, despite your statewide homelessness emergency declaration. Several of us on the ground and in direct contact with both our full no barrier shelter and our houseless and under resourced have asked repeatedly, shared scientific data and facts about hypothermia risks in sustained wind and rain, and have been swapping out blankets, coats, socks and dry layers as fast as we can. We are losing the battle, and the city leadership remains steadfast in their denial of danger or necessity of services.
The situation: On Dec. 17-18, Clatsop County has experienced sustained heavy rain, 40-plus mph wind gusts, flood advisories, downed power lines, and fallen trees. Temperatures have been 46-50°F. According to CDC and Coast Guard data, these conditions create hypothermia risk — wet cold is more dangerous than dry cold.
I formally requested that the City of Astoria open its emergency shelter. After hours of correspondence in which the mayor pointed to CCA and CCA pointed to the city, Interim City Manager Jonah Dart-McLean confirmed the city defines the shelter activation criteria, the city holds the authority to open the shelter, and the city declined to open.
The reason: the criteria are temperature-based only (32°F). Despite scientific evidence that hypothermia occurs above 40°F when wet, the city has stated it will “maintain the existing threshold” and refuses to re-evaluate the criteria.
This is a failure of local implementation of state homelessness policy.
Your executive orders established that OHCS should “elevate when local municipalities are not meeting policy and/or implementation expectations.” The City of Astoria is not meeting reasonable expectations for protecting its most vulnerable residents during dangerous weather.
I am requesting that OHCS or your office intervene to:
• Review the City of Astoria’s emergency shelter activation criteria
• Require that rain, wet conditions, and wind chill be included as activation triggers consistent with CDC and NWS data
• Ensure that local decision-makers are held accountable for refusals that endanger lives
The easiest thing to do here is also the morally correct thing. Please help me understand how this is an appropriate (non)use of county and city taxpayer funds?
EMILY ENGDAHL
Astoria Harvest Mutual Aid Organizer
