CSS Operations Update

July 20, 2023

Did you know that in 2021, CSS built 100 Conestoga Huts to meet the growing unhoused needs of the Lane County community post-Covid? As you can imagine, this rapid expansion was quite the growth curve for our little start-up organization! In the years since, we have seen the length of stay in our Huts shift from 10 months to upwards of 2 years with the growing lack of affordable housing and, since the pandemic, our onsite hours shift to 24/7, where previously most of our clients were offsite during a significant portion of the day. 

These factors have increased the wear and tear on the CSS community spaces and individual Huts and mandate a different look at how we deliver services to our clients. The foundation of CSS is entirely based on the idea of community, and we continue to breathe that concept into our work on a daily basis. Our Service Team brings each community together at least once a week to encourage healthy communication and troubleshoot unhealthy behaviors, as our clients navigate life with up to 18 roommates and shared spaces! They cook together, chop firewood together, and more.


For CSS Operations, 2023 will continue to be a year of renewal and renovation! With a new Director of Operations, new Facilities Manager Dustin Foskett, and fully staffed Maintenance Team, we have been focused on clearing a backlog of repairs, conducting community Hut safety inspections, and enhancing infrastructure with an eye toward livability. Beyond these essential projects, we have few fun plans in the works including . . .  


  • The expansion of our grey water filtration pilot program, presently at our Skinner site, to other CSS communities courtesy of a grant from the Oregon Country Fair. This enhancement will eliminate the need to haul grey water out of our off-grid communities each week, as well as provide relatively clean water for client gardens and green spaces.
  • Leveraging City of Eugene infrastructure funding to create more accessible paths and entryways in our communities as well as decrease the ponding that happens during heavy rains on the barrowed wetlands that host many CSS communities. 
  • Enhancing our solar systems and/or connecting communities to EWEB to increase the ease of living in our mostly off-grid communities. 
  • Revamping our shower and laundry services to better serve our existing clients with an investment in onsite washers and dryers as well as more accessible shower hours.
  • Opportunities for clients to prepare for potential CSS employment through  volunteer roles, serving alongside the Maintenance Team on routine tasks, as well as special projects.

This year is the time to shore up the infrastructure quickly assembled in 2021 and plan for sustainability in this next season. We have a wonderful foundation, willing hands ready to build, and heart-warming public support. Thank you for being a part of the Team that makes shelter possible for hundreds each year at CSS!



Tabitha Eck
Director of Operations
Community Supported Shelters 

News & Events

To stay connected to CSS, subscribe to our quarterly newsletter. If you are a member of the media who is seeking info, contact community@cssoregon.org.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Getting Back on Their Feet — Together

January 24, 2026
On a sunny January day, Dan, 58, and Robert, 60, worked together on the CSS Maintenance Crew doing restoration work at the Empire Pond Safe Spot Community. Another typical workday for both of them in some ways, but one that neither could have imagined just a year and a half ago. Dan and Robert are brothers who had not

Partner Spotlight: MECCA

January 23, 2026
The "starving artist" stereotype is well-known. Housed folks often struggle to make an income through art. That difficulty is magnified for unhoused artists, for whom many basic resources are out of reach: good-quality supplies, studio space, and art classes. For that reason, when CSS launched our new Arts Entrepreneur

Strength In Community

January 22, 2026
Right now is a scary time for many of the people we serve. Freezing weather brings real and immediate danger. Increased enforcement and the presence of ICE create fear and instability, particularly for immigrant community members. And harmful language and policies at the federal level continue to further criminalize ho

Shoutouts & Gratitude: Winter 2026

January 21, 2026
Major gratitude to the following local businesses: Slice Pizzeria & Bar, Claim 52 Brewing, High Street Tonics, Venue 252, Chambers Grill & Taphouse, and The Embers. Collectively, they've filled about 100 BottleDrop Blue Bags since Thanksgiving, giving us a financial boost while recycling bottles and cans.

Community Supported Shelters moving into former west Eugene DMV

December 30, 2025
Community Supported Shelters' new main office used to be Eugene's DMV. The building at 2870 W. 10th Place was where Eugene residents got their licenses, registered their vehicles and replaced their license plates from 1985 to 2021. Eugene's DMV is now located at 499 Valley River Center. It moved in 2022.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! Bridges on Broadway Opens its Doors to Residents

December 18, 2025
“I’m excited! I can’t wait! I mean, I can plug in stuff. I can go to sleep. I can lock my door!” – Joshua Most of us take these simple things almost entirely for granted. Having access to electricity. Having a place to sleep where you feel safe and secure. But, for Joshua, and the 56 other Lane County households who a

Nonprofit that aids homeless is raising money for building remodel

December 9, 2025
Workers at Community Supported Shelters make do in a cramped space where they share desks and have no space for private meetings with the unsheltered people they serve. The Eugene nonprofit has grown rapidly in recent years, expanding its roster of huts where people can live off the streets. Today there are more than

Could Oregon Trail wagons provide an unlikely solution to the housing crisis?: Season of Sharing 2025

November 19, 2025
Zechariah Boesman was homeless for most of his life. He spent his childhood touring practically “every homeless shelter across America” and landed as an adult in Oregon, where he lived on the streets until a workplace injury convinced him to apply for a tiny home with Community Supported Shelters.

Community Supported Shelters takes on 20 more Conestoga Huts, will expand food efforts

November 16, 2025
Blake Burrell: "For anyone that's ever moved in with roommates, moving 20 people in at one time can be really challenging. So we are taking that incremental approach and are looking somewhere by probably about  July or August, having 20 folks on that property."

Hope in a Difficult Time

October 31, 2025
As we move deeper into fall and prepare for the cold months ahead, we want to share an update on our work and a reflection on what this season means for our community. Recent policy changes and funding reductions across Oregon are already having consequences for people experiencing homelessness. New SNAP rules are e
Show More