As we approach spring, Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington County kick off their annual budget processes. With the stability of social services funding facing unprecedented uncertainty from federal and local levels, we must speak up to protect funding for the services supporting housing people across our region. Our counties are charged with managing our social safety nets – like public health and human services.
Welcome Home members have been advocating for all three counties to invest public funding into programs that ensure housing stability for all, such as rent assistance, outreach and case management, and investment in creating more rent restricted housing. We worry when our leaders become too laser-focused on prioritizing investments in large-scale, congregate shelters. We know that shelter is a life-saving resource and, for some, a crucial first step to stable housing, but it will not be the silver bullet to addressing homelessness in our region.
Over and over, we hear from service providers and people who have experienced homelessness that large congregate shelters are often unsafe for many individuals, especially families with children, LGBTQIA+ individuals, women, people experiencing disabilities, people of color, and immigrants and refugees. With this in mind, when counties invest in shelter, we need them to prioritize models that offer dignity and privacy to community members to ensure everyone feels safe accessing shelter resources.
Ultimately, freeing up shelter beds across our region requires that decision-makers act with urgency to create a system that moves people from shelter into housing options that meet their needs. We can build all the shelters we need, but until people can move into housing we will still have unacceptable levels of homelessness in our community. Our region has unique tools to connect people to housing, such as our local long-term rent assistance vouchers funded by the SHS Measure. We must do better to get this resource to the people who need it most.
Learn About Our Region’s Rent Assistance Program
We can look to Milwaukee County’s success as a pathway for our region. National data shows that last year the nation’s homeless population increased by almost 20 percent. In contrast, Milwaukee County’s homeless population decreased by nearly as much over the same period. The county’s success has taken around a decade of leaders committing to Housing First models, by offering housing and support services. Milwaukee tracked public savings to behavioral health and criminal justice systems. To date, Milwaukee County’s Housing First program has saved taxpayers more than $30 million.
Learn About Milwaukee’s Success
For Multnomah County, you can fill out a simple survey by Monday, March 3rd to provide direct feedback to decision-makers about the county’s homelessness budget.
Complete Multnomah County’s Budget Survey
Washington and Clackamas County have not yet started accepting public comments for their FY25/26 budget process. This process typically occurs in April and May. We encourage you to track the county websites for opportunities to provide written or verbal comments on the county budgets.
See Clackamas County’s Budget Page
See Washington County’s Budget Page
Thank you for joining us to encourage our county leaders to create budgets that support communities where everyone has a safe, stable place to call home.