Bringing reliable, clean energy transportation to Bybee Lakes shelter

Blog Post

Forth is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing equitable access to clean transportation.

When a never-used county jail was transformed into a shelter for people transitioning from homelessness in 2020, organizers knew transportation would be a problem. The Bybee Lakes Hope Center sits on the industrial northern edge of Portland, distant from jobs, shopping, services and recreation. It was clear from the outset: residents would need better ways to get around.

Thanks to a grant from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) and the work of the nonprofit Forth, two ADA accessible electric shuttle buses and 30 sturdy electric bikes will now get residents where they need to go. After installing chargers, the center held a training Sept. 18 to show residents how to ride, maintain and stay safe on the Vvolt bikes in the Hope Center's new e-bike library.

E-bikes at Bybee Lakes Hope Center, photo courtesy of Forth.

There were smiles and laughter as many tested an e-bike for the first time, Forth Program Manager Lucia Mosca said. Residents said the e-bikes and shuttles would help them solve the problem of getting to and from work, doctor appointments, public transportation and other essential services. They can go on their own schedule and when TriMet isn't running.

"This project and partnership are great examples of what is possible with PCEF funds," said Seetha Ream-Rao, PCEF's Transportation Decarbonization Manager. "Subject matter experts like Forth provide much-needed support to an organization like Helping Hands in their transition to zero-emission vehicles. These new assets increase the climate resiliency of our community and provide critical transportation options for Portlanders who have been historically underinvested in."

The nonprofit Helping Hands operates Bybee Lakes as one of its trauma-informed transitional housing outreach centers. It serves men, women and families experiencing homelessness. Staffers start by learning each resident's story: a significant fraction have experienced domestic violence and problems with mental health and addiction.

New residents enter the center's short-term low-barrier emergency shelter, where they must be prepared to live clean and sober, the center says. Most transition to the Hope Center's longer-term re-entry program, where they are required to perform community service, take random drug tests and pay a monthly fee that covers unlimited food, a case manager, laundry services and other resources. This fee is waived while staff support the resident in finding a job.

The re-entry program also offers skill-building classes, financial coaching and assistance with other needs, such as obtaining official identification documents, getting mental and physical health care or attending recovery support meetings.

Forth designs and manages programs to increase equitable access to clean transportation, with a focus on historically underserved communities; it is one of the first organizations able to deliver electric vehicles with wheelchair access to populations with mobility issues. The PCEF-funded Forth Green Energy and Mobility Project (GEM) includes 11-person electric shuttles for both Bybee Lakes and the Hacienda CDC Las Adelitas affordable housing complex in Cully - a parking shortage at Las Adelitas makes owning and parking a car there difficult.

Before the e-bike library, Bybee Lakes had four donated traditional bikes for residents to borrow. Because hardly any of the center's residents had cars, the bike library was so popular that most were either in steady use or were down for repairs.

Forth's grant application included a video discussion with residents who explained how they would gain autonomy with better transportation. One resident shared that the shuttle made it possible for her to purchase necessities like diapers for her young daughter without struggling through the wind and rain. Another shared the way his self-esteem had grown from being able to get around independently; he no longer feels the helplessness of being stranded when a planned ride falls through. Having access to e-bikes and electric shuttle service also helps residents pick up more work shifts and get to work on time.