A 179-bed emergency shelter for single asylum seekers will open at 166 Riverside St. in Portland on Nov. 29, according to a news release from the city.

The new shelter will free up about 120 beds at the city’s 208-bed Homeless Services Center located less than a mile away. 

The city recently added 50 beds there through an emergency city council order. The beds at the Homeless Services Center will be prioritized for those sleeping outside.

“The city is working through a plan to open up blocks of shelter beds each week as it takes time to complete the intake process,” the release stated. “The city will continue to utilize its Encampment Crisis Response Team to connect unhoused individuals with these available shelter beds and other shelter resources and housing opportunities.”

The shelter will include services tailored to asylum seekers.

The city’s health and human services department will operate the shelter for 18 months, at which point Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, which will already be providing food services, will take over.

Private developer Developers Collaborative was able to construct the new, 16,000 square foot facility thanks to a MaineHousing grant received by the Center for Regional Prosperity, the non-profit arm of the Greater Portland Council of Governments.

Portland provides shelter for about 1,000 people nightly. In addition to the Homeless Services Center at 654 Riverside Street and the new shelter at 166 Riverside Street, the city also operates a Family Shelter on Chestnut Street and overflow spaces for families.