History
In 1952, a group of University of Portland students moved into the ground-level floor of the former New Meyer Hotel previously managed by S. Yamaguchi until 1931 when it was sold and became the Hotel New Meyer. At the time, the upper floors were used as a brothel. [4] On Feb. 11, the group served its first meal to 227 people. The organization bought the building in 1958. By 2018, Blanchet House has been serving three meals a day, six days a week to an average 1,000 people a day. It is a house of hospitality, inspired by the Catholic Worker’s Movement. [5]
In 1962, a farm in Carlton, Oregon was purchased by Blanchet House which hosts a residential program for men who are rebuilding their lives from drug and alcohol addiction, job loss and other obstacles. [5] Blanchet Farm in Carlton, Yamhill County, Oregon runs a rural program offers a recovery through work. Participants engage in work such as caring for animals and gardens along with learning woodworking and beekeeping. [6]
Blanchet House operated from the same building until 2012 before moving to a newly constructed building nearby [7] at the former site of a gay bar Dirty Duck. [8] The organization acquired the location in which Dirty Duck was located with a land trade deal with Portland Development Commission. [9] The new building is larger and the upper floors are used as transitional housing. [10] Blanchet House demolished the historic Yamaguchi Hotel on March 21, 2023 despite opposition from Restore Oregon. It was reported in 2023 that the organization plans on building a health clinic on the site of their old building. [11] [12]
Services
Blanchet House serves three meals a day to anyone in need, Monday through Saturday, [13] [14] with capacity to serve 1,500 meals a day. [15] Multnomah County had expended $431,000 to fund Blanchet's "day service". Multnomah County announced in February 2025 about its proposed to stop funding Blanchet's day programs. Executive director expressed dissatisfaction about the cut. [1]
Blanchet intends to open a 75-bed overnight homeless shelter for women by October 2025 in Slabtown part of Northwest Portland. [16] [17] It was originally proposed at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in downtown. [18] [19] Some nearby neighbors raised concerns about tents and RVs appearing near the shelter to engage in activities not allowed at shelter, such as drugs, sex and alcohol based on their experience with activities that occurred around warning shelters operated by Multnomah County. A community meeting was held and residents voiced concerns about vagueness of the plan, trash, tents and drug use. [16] [17]
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