On Thursday, Aug. 1, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution outlining a series of milestones for tracking progress on homelessness — with a focus on the newly formed Homelessness Response System.
The milestones include expectations for Multnomah County, the City of Portland, the Joint Office of Homeless Services, and the Homelessness Response System.
The resolution follows the Board’s July 11 approval of a new intergovernmental agreement with the City of Portland to continue jointly addressing homelessness. While approving the intergovernmental agreement, and in a subsequent work session, the Board agreed the County should separately pass a resolution outlining certain milestones to be reviewed by Oct. 15, 2024.
The milestones in the County’s resolution largely mirror those in the City of Portland’s ordinance approving the intergovernmental agreement, but with some differences. The County’s resolution includes additional expectations for the City of Portland, and makes adjustments to some of the milestones included in the City’s ordinance.
The resolution also includes the values guiding the work, including that Multnomah County should be a community “where homelessness is rare and brief” and “where services are equitable, coordinated, effective, just and accessible.”
The Board and presenters acknowledged that much of the progress shared this fall will be ongoing and won’t necessarily be concluded on a certain date.
“We don't expect all of those items will be completed with a bow on them,” said Dan Field, director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services. “For example, for the ones the Joint Office has around the outreach strategy, we have made significant progress already. We will continue to do that, but that's a longer-term quality improvement process that we're working on.”
Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards, who introduced the resolution and some subsequent amendments, said she supports the clarity it brings to the agreement with the City. “It’s good for us to outline what we expect, so we're really clear. They have been clear of what they expect of us. I always think being clear is kindness,” Brim-Edwards said.
The resolution was approved in a 3-0 vote by Brim-Edwards, Commissioner Lori Stegmann and Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. (Commissioners Sharon Meieran and Jesse Beason were both absent.)
The milestones included in the amended resolution are listed below:
- Creating and publishing publicly facing dashboards to monitor progress toward goals and outcomes and investments.
- Holding quarterly joint public work sessions between the City Council and County Commission.
- The Joint Office of Homeless Services launching a shelter availability application pilot to report available access and appropriate placement spots that are available, to be tracked in real time.
- The Joint Office of Homeless Services providing a detailed plan on the 555 beds of additional adult shelter that is planned to open by December 2024.
- The City of Portland will open Temporary Alternative Shelter Site #2 and #3 by Sept. 30, 2024.
- The Joint Office of Homeless Services launching a pilot to secure up to 200 block/primarily leased units to support rapid rehousing placement.
- Multnomah County completing an analysis of current supportive housing providers and developing a six-month plan to bill for Medicaid eligible services.
- The Homelessness Response System Steering and Oversight Committee will have a policy discussion regarding the distribution of tents and tarps by Multnomah County and its service providers within the City of Portland and inform the City of Portland and Multnomah County’s policy.
- The Joint Office of Homeless Services finalizing an outreach and engagement strategy workgroup and steering committee, including City of Portland participation, similar to the Community Sheltering Strategy.
- The City of Portland will report on their identified ways to support the development and financing of affordable housing on faith-based and nonprofit owned properties.
- The City of Portland will adopt and report on their Housing Production Strategy for the next five years.
- The City of Portland will adopt and report on the identified new Tax Increment Financing Districts in the Central City and East Portland to fund new affordable and other housing development.
- Multnomah County will articulate and inform the City of Portland and the Homeless Oversight Committee of the County’s harm reduction policies and implementation.
