Access Center
Open: Wednesday–Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM
1440 SE 21st Ave Hillsboro, OR 97123
Temporary Relocation:
Now serving guests at the Salvation Army Building
(East End Entrance).
The center offers a range of essential services, including the provision of nutrient-dense meals, laundry services, ID acquisition assistance, OHP enrollment, peer support, and connections to shelter and housing resources within the county—accomplishing our mission by facilitating a comprehensive pathway toward stability and self-reliance for houseless neighbors in our community. Thank you to the Salvation Army for housing us during our transition.
“I came here with nothing on my feet. I hadn’t showered in seven days. My stomach was empty and I was hungry. My clothes were dirty with holes. I was alone and knew nobody. Thank you; I’m leaving and look, you gave me shoes. I took a shower and my clothes are clean. I ate so much my stomach is full. And now I have friends.”
PHC’s access center plays a significant and positive impact on both the individuals it serves and the wider community. Here are some of the key ways our center is making a difference:
- Access to Basic Needs: Homeless individuals often lack access to basic necessities like food, clothing, and hygiene facilities. Our center provides immediate relief by offering these services, ensuring that individuals’ basic and immediate human needs are met.
- Food: Providing two nutrient-dense meals daily boosts immunity, addresses food insecurity, and provides greater stability, allowing individuals a greater chance of getting out of their 24-hour time horizon.
- Clothing: Recognizing the harsh impact of changing climates on health and comfort, our clothing closet supplies individuals in need with essential items such as new underwear, socks, shoes, winter coats, and various other clothing options.
- Hygiene: Showers, clean laundry, and other hygiene items such as toothbrushes, deodorant, and foot powder increase overall well-being and confidence.
- Healthcare and Mental Health Services: Many homeless individuals struggle with physical and mental health conditions. Our staff helps guests enroll with the Oregon Health Plan and refers them to various healthcare providers, including mental health services and addiction treatment programs, improving overall health outcomes.
- Social Support and Community: Homelessness can be isolating. Our center provides a sense of community and social support, reducing feelings of loneliness.
- Housing and Shelter Connections: Phase 1 assessments, a prerequisite for placement on waitlists for shelter and housing programs, are conducted here.
- Community Engagement: We engage with local volunteers and organizations, fostering a sense of community involvement and collective responsibility for addressing homelessness.
new 3-story access center coming soon!
Thanks to the pivotal Supportive Housing Services Measure, approved by voters, we’re excited to announce the construction of a new Access Center adjacent to our beloved yellow house!
This upcoming center represents a significant expansion in our ability to support our houseless neighbors and program participants. With increased space, we’ll be able to better accommodate the number of individuals we see on a daily basis. Additionally, our designs for the new center include dedicated spaces for external service providers to offer on-site care, such as medical, dental, behavioral, and social services. We’re eager to see this collaborative hub of assistance and resources truly flourish in the new space.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has contributed to making this project a reality, with special thanks to Washington County and the City of Hillsboro. Stay tuned for updates as this project progresses, and take a moment to admire the beautiful renderings of this new build!
PHC’s Access Center’s previous home—a 1,600-square-foot house—had long exceeded its capacity. While our temporary location at the Salvation Army has offered short-term solution during our transition, the new Access Center will finally provide a purpose-built space designed to support guests with dignity and ease.
Overcrowding has been a constant challenge. The previous space could no longer support the volume of guests seeking help—often forcing people to wait outside and limiting privacy for sensitive conversations. Demand has grown dramatically in recent years, with the number of individuals served rising from 836 in 2022 to more than 2,400 in 2024, along with tens of thousands of meals, showers, and laundry services provided.
The lower guest count of 1,985 in the 2025 fiscal year reflects progress across a growing county-wide system. As more shelters and housing programs open, PHC is able to refer guests into stable housing with ongoing case management. What our community needs now is a purpose-built space that can keep pace with demand while providing higher-quality, individualized support.
The new Access Center will create a synergistic environment where multiple partner agencies can work together as a village—delivering coordinated, specialized services, supporting dignity, and ensuring that no one falls through the cracks.
Spanning 12,000 square feet, the new ADA-compliant Center will offer space for daytime refuge, secured client storage, and front-line staff offices, and will also serve as a severe weather shelter site. Partners will provide onsite medical, behavioral health, and social services. Guests will be able to walk in without an appointment and access housing navigation, employment support, benefits enrollment, hygiene services, and more—transforming each visit from meeting basic survival needs to taking meaningful steps toward long-term stability.
Purpose-built, shovel-ready, and designed with dignity and connection at its core, the new Access Center will offer the space, support, and collaborative environment people need to rebuild their lives.
