Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson announced a new strategic focus for the Joint Office of Homeless Services on Friday morning.
The new strategy is stated to include an "immediate plan to increase transparency and collaboration among government partners," and to move hundreds of homeless people directly from tents to apartments.
The strategy notes that accelerated housing placement would move people out of shelters faster and open more beds.
Called 'Housing Multnomah Now,' the $14 million, 12-month plan says it will create a multi-agency coordinating (MAC) group focused on ending unsheltered homelessness over the next 4 months.
The new group will include the Joint Office, the City of Portland, behavioral health providers, shelter providers, and culturally specific organizations.
Vega Pederson says the new strategy will mimic a pilot program and housing-first strategy used in Seattle and King County.
“This strategy will provide outreach, support, and a path back to housing,” Vega Pederson said
The goal of this model is to connect people directly to housing and stop the shuffle of moving people from one location to another as they’re living outside.
Outreach and housing placement workers will work to place homeless people in housing. To find these homes, the plan says Housing Multnomah Now will work to identify available units, offer landlord incentives, and give guaranteed rent assistance,
“We need landlords to respond urgently to provide those living on our streets with a safe place to stay,” Vega Pederson said. “We hope landlords will step up as they have in the past and continue to help us address this crisis.”
To help pay for this expansion, the plan is asking for the Board of Commissioners to invest funding from the Supportive Housing Services Measure.
Vega Pederson is also requesting that the Oregon Legislature fund Governor Tina Kotek’s proposed $130 million emergency funding to address homelessness.
Safe Rest Villages would also be incorporated into the plan, and shelters and campground programs would still be used for people waiting for housing.
The plan intends to improve transparency and accountability by tracking, reporting, and measuring progress.
“Transparency, accountability, and urgency — those have been my top objectives during my first month as the chair of Multnomah County and will continue to drive these new investments," Vega Pederson stated.