With a snip, smiles and a smattering of applause, the Bethlehem Inn of Redmond opened its doors on Friday, June 24, after 18 months of planning and renovation of a former downtown motel.

The Bethlehem Inn, formerly the Greenway Motel, is located at 517 NW Birch. It is the first transitional shelter in Redmond for people facing homelessness. Nearly 90 people can be sheltered and fed each night on the property.

A number of county commissioners, city councilors and community members were on hand for the grand opening.

“It wouldn’t have happened without all of you,” said Gwenn Wysling, executive director of the Bethlehem Inn.

The shelter is the local result of Project Turnkey, a state program mechanism focused on turning old motels and hotels into shelters for those experiencing homelessness. A $2.7 million state grant funded the purchase of the motel and the renovation.

Although homelessness may be less visible in Redmond than in larger cities such as Bend, it is an issue that has grown quickly — along with the city population and housing costs.

“This is not about a building,” Wysling said. “This is not about a renovation. This is about hope.”

The inn will act as a temporary place where residents can find immediate stability and be pointed toward permanent housing. Shepherd’s House and Oasis Village are two more transitional shelters planned for Redmond, each one trying to fill a wide gap in current services.

“It’s a Band-Aid,” said James Cook, a community advocate. “Everyone in a shelter is still considered homeless.”

Without permanent affordable housing, Cook said that the issue will continue to grow and homelessness will become a bigger problem in Redmond.

Bethlehem Inn program director Tara Feurtado said there’s an immediate need that the inn can help fill. Feurtado said five individuals had already reached out for help on Thursday’s opening night.

“Our individuals are a part of the Redmond community,” she said. “The face of homelessness is all of us.”

Brandon Stutzman, a photographer and documentary filmmaker from Redmond, is one such face. As a child, he lived at the former hotel that has now been turned into the Bethlehem Inn. This time, however, he was there helping deliver $14,500 to the inn — after he ran 100 miles and did 1,000 pull-ups in 33 hours on the Dry Canyon Trail in April.

Stutzman is planning an even more audacious goal to help raise more money and awareness for the Bethlehem Inn — aiming to raise $30,000 while running 200 miles and doing 2,000 pull-ups and 2,000 push-ups along the Deschutes River Trail in August.

For those interested in sheltering at the Redmond Bethlehem Inn, Feurtado said to call organization’s shelter in Bend and ask for help in Redmond. The organization will work same-day intake and each person will be handled on a case by case basis.

After 3-5 days at the inn, individuals will talk with a case manager about their specific situation and what would be most useful to help them secure a more permanent residence. Intake days are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.