Trans and LGBTQ+ housing in Portland

Housing is the most common thing trans people ask us for help with. This page is where to start, whether you need a bed tonight, a sober home, or a lease next month.

Get free 1:1 housing help from WERQ

Need a place to sleep tonight?

• Call or text 211. 211info keeps the shelter lists and waitlists for the Portland area. Dial 211, or text your ZIP code to 898211. Core hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

• Call 311 for City shelters. The City of Portland line covers overnight shelters and street outreach, 7 days a week, 7am to 8pm.

• Shelters that say they welcome trans people. Transition Projects says all of its shelters are gender affirming, but you need a reservation first: 503-280-4700. Willamette Center serves women, nonbinary people and couples. Arbor Lodge pods serve women, trans and nonbinary people.

• A day center made for us. The Marie Equi Center is a day center for trans, queer, intersex and gender-diverse people, with showers, laundry, meals and shelter navigation. 4434 SE 25th Ave, 503-459-2584.

• Under 25? Call the Janus Access Center at 503-432-3986. SMYRC is a center for LGBTQIA2S+ youth ages 13 to 24.

• Leaving an unsafe relationship? Bradley Angle runs gender-inclusive shelter and an LGBTQIA+ program: 503-281-2442, ext. 2.

Portland's shelter system shrank in 2026 and several sites closed, so call before you go. In a crisis, call or text 988.

Queer and trans housing in Portland

There's no LGBTQ-specific emergency shelter in the Portland area's official shelter lists. These programs are built for us:

• Parkrose Community Village. A WeShine pod village for adults who identify as LGBTQIA+, with priority for BIPOC, disabled and locally unhoused people. Apply yourself, then interview. info@weshinepdx.org.

• Unity House. New Avenues for Youth's housing program for LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults. Start with the Janus Access Center, 503-432-3986.

• Quest Center recovery homes. Recovery housing that prioritizes LGBTQIA2S+ residents, for people in Quest's outpatient treatment. 503-238-5203.

• Safe Haven Home Share. WERQ's home-sharing program, now training its first hosts. Community homeowners rent a room in their own home to a trans renter, and we support the match. Read what hosting looks like.

Renting in Portland

• Housing Connector. WERQ is a Housing Connector partner agency. If you're renter-ready in Multnomah County, we can work with your landlord and Housing Connector to back your lease with up to 3 months' rent guarantee. It's a safety net for people who are ready to rent, not free rent.

• The tools that work. Read 3 tools that help trans people get housed in Portland: Rent Well, OneApp and Housing Connector.

• Renting tips. Housing tips for LGBTQ renters in Oregon, and our list of Portland housing resources.

• Finding rooms. Every Portland queer housing group you should know.

• Hosting a room? Portland's $1,500 Home Sharing Grant, explained.

• Learn your rights as a tenant. Our free Know Your Power class meets the 2nd Thursday of each month, 5 to 6:30pm, and our Co-WERQ Find Housing room is a monthly working session for your search. See events.

Transitional and sober housing

• Transitional housing starts with one assessment. Multnomah County's Coordinated Access assessment can match you to transitional housing, rapid rehousing or supportive housing. Adults call the CHAT line at 844-765-9384. Families call 211. Youth under 25 call Janus at 503-432-3986. There are far fewer openings than people who need them, so ask about other help too.

• Recovery homes with open beds. The Oregon Recovery Residences registry shows live open beds, with a Cultural/LGBTQ category. Oxford House vacancies are listed by house, but houses are listed only as men's or women's.

• Low-barrier recovery housing. Bridges to Change takes self-referrals, and its stabilization housing doesn't require sobriety to move in. 971-386-3338.

Your rights

Oregon law bans housing discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. If a landlord or housing provider treats you differently because you're trans or queer, write down who, where and when. You can file a complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) or get help from the Fair Housing Council of Oregon.

Get help from WERQ

Our peer navigators help trans people make a realistic housing budget, fill out applications, tour apartments and talk to landlords. It's free. Start your intake, or search every housing resource we've verified on Wayfinder. Moving from out of state? Start with our trans relocation guide.

Questions people ask

Is there LGBTQ+ housing in Portland?

A little. Parkrose Community Village has pods for LGBTQIA+ adults, Unity House serves LGBTQIA2S+ youth, and Quest Center runs recovery homes that prioritize LGBTQIA2S+ residents. There's no LGBTQ-specific emergency shelter, so most people use shelters that say they're gender affirming.

Can trans people stay in Portland shelters?

Yes. Oregon law bans discrimination based on gender identity in housing and public places, and several Portland shelters say they're gender affirming or open to all genders. Call 211 to find one with space.

How do I get into transitional housing in Portland?

Ask for a Coordinated Access assessment. Adults call 844-765-9384. The assessment puts you in line for transitional housing, rapid rehousing and supportive housing.

Does WERQ have its own housing?

WERQ doesn't run a shelter. We help you plan, apply and talk to landlords, we're a Housing Connector partner agency, and our Safe Haven Home Share program is building a network of community members who will rent rooms in their own homes to trans renters.