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When Barry Menashe, president of real estate firm Menashe Properties, told his son, vice president Jordan Menashe, that he wanted to use one of their empty buildings to accommodate homeless men, the buy-in was immediate.

鈥淲hen Dad brought up the idea, I said, 鈥楲et’s roll,’ 鈥� he said.

The idea, Jordan Menashe said, is to help people 鈥� homeless disabled veterans, in particular 鈥� endure the winter. So Washington Center, at 425 S.W. Washington St., became a night shelter.

With the city’s support, the building opened this week and filled with 100 homeless men on the first night, Jordan Menashe said.

鈥淲e are working with Commissioner (Dan) Saltzman and the mayor and the Portland Business Alliance,鈥� he said.

The temporary shelter is being managed by Transition Projects, a nonprofit that manages many of the city’s homeless shelters, Jordan Menashe said.

Some property owners in the vicinity were not happy about the building being used by homeless individuals, but Jordan Menashe said he believes detractors should 鈥渉ave a heart.鈥�

鈥淭hat’s our decision and we stand by it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are no lines (and) the same folks are sleeping there (each night). They can keep their stuff dry and people can bring them food.鈥�

Menashe said the shelter helps alleviate downtown homelessness.

鈥淲e have 400 people sleeping (on the streets) in a four-block radius and here they sleep inside like human beings should,鈥� he said.

The temporary residents are given clean cots to sleep on as well as access to bathrooms and a 鈥渨ake-up room鈥� where they can have coffee and tea in the mornings before returning to the streets at daytime.

鈥淓veryone staying there has been nothing but appreciative,鈥� he said.

Despite the complaints, Jordan Menashe said he has been 鈥渙verwhelmed鈥� by the hundreds of positive messages and emails he has received in the past few days.

鈥淩eally, people are saying, 鈥楬ow can we help at the shelter,’ 鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven though it’s a temporary shelter, we are bringing hope and respect for those people living there. We are all human beings.鈥�

Homelessness touches everyone, Jordan Menashe said, and touched his father’s family directly.

鈥淗e had a brother and sister, both with mental problems, who were on the street for many years and are now passed away,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o homelessness is a soft spot for our family, and we wanted to help 鈥� even though it’s temporary.鈥�

Although the agreement with the city is for the temporary shelter to stay open for up to six months, the building is still on the market, Jordan Menashe said. Menashe Properties acquired the building last year for $9 million, he added.

Jordan Menashe said he plans to keep seeking ways to combat homelessness. He hopes other property owners will step up and help.

鈥淲e all need to work together,鈥� he said.

Saltzman, who oversees the Portland Housing Bureau, said opening a building that is unoccupied but still on the market is highly unusual.

鈥淚’ve never heard of anything like this and really appreciate the generosity of the Menashe family for even thinking of this potential use,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don’t think most property owners think about it, but I’d absolutely encourage them and would love to have other properties to provide shelter opportunities.鈥�

The city has an agreement with Menashe Properties to provide the building, free of charge, as a night shelter for three to six months, Saltzman said. The city is paying for utilities.

鈥淚 hope it’s six, but it’s at least three months,鈥� Saltzman said. 鈥淚t’s out of the blue and the shelter is full, and so far, so good.鈥�

Roma Peyser, director of development for Transition Projects, noted that the city in November opened a nighttime shelter for women and couples in the Jerome F. Sears Army Reserve Center at 2730 S.W. Multnomah Blvd. The shelter, also temporary, now houses 167 people and will be open through the winter months.

鈥淟ike the one (at Washington Center), it is a 鈥榣ow barrier’ shelter so people can bring a pet with them,鈥� she said.

Peyser said her office is calling the Washington Center shelter the 鈥淧eace Shelter鈥� and said she hopes more building owners like Menashe Properties will offer their vacant properties for temporary shelters.

鈥淎s far as we know, it is the first time a private owner has offered up a building, but also with the intention of speaking about it so publicly in order to have others join in on this,鈥� she said.

Anyone who wants to help the city provide even temporary lodging for homeless residents can contact Transition Projects Executive Director George Devendorf at 503-280-4700 or Mayor Charlie Hales at 503-823-4120, Peyser said.