Men of Steel Arrive in West The Dalles; Gloria Center for Houseless Getting a Home

By Tom Peterson

The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 6, 2023 - Daniel Henderson of Oregon City and John Graves of Portland work on an eve strut for the new metal building being constructed on West Seventh Street, south of the Underriner Ford dealership.

Mid-Columbia Community Action Council or MCCAC is having the Gloria Center constructed. It is a $5-plus-million project that will provide multiple services for houseless locals who are looking to transition into stable housing and working toward employment.

Henderson and Graves work for GRS Erectors Incorporated of Salem which is putting up the steel building, and the general contractor is Bremik Construction of Portland. Bremik has overseen and managed multiple projects in the area, including the new dormitory and skill center at Columbia Gorge Community College. .

The location of the Gloria Center at 2505 W. Seventh Street is near Coastal Farm & Supply. One acre of the 2.6 donated for the site could be eventually used for housing in the future. Currently, the drive is to finish this 14,000-square-foot building, above right, to provide a one-stop service center for those experiencing houselessness.

The Gloria Center, expected to fully open at the beginning of 2024, will serve as a multi-agency service center and emergency overnight shelter.

This one-stop resource hub will provide services that work towards eliminating poverty and houselessness in our community. These services include housing assistance, houselessness prevention, case management, Veterans services, utility assistance, home weatherization, physical health, behavioral health, and Native and Latinx-specific services.

The agencies that will be housed at the Center include MCCAC, the Mid Columbia Center for Living, One Community Health, the Oregon Human Development Corporation, Nch’I Wana Housing, the Department of Human Services, the Columbia Gorge Health Council and its Bridges to Health program.