FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 20, 2026
East Multnomah County Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon Introduces "East County Package" of Budget Amendments to address Public Safety, Economic Empowerment, and Geographic Equity
PORTLAND, OR — Today, at the Multnomah County budget hearing, District 4 Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon introduced a comprehensive slate of budget amendments designed to bolster community safety and economic empowerment for the residents and businesses of East Multnomah County.
Faced with a challenging fiscal landscape and significant proposed cuts to East County services, Commissioner Jones-Dixon’s "East County Package" reallocates funds into high-performing, localized programs that create long-term stability and opportunity.
"East Multnomah County residents have paid into regional tax systems for programs and investments. Those investments need to reflect the needs of our community," said Commissioner Jones-Dixon. "This package is a direct response to the concerns I hear every day from our working families, community members that are struggling and the business community. The strategy of this package is to direct funding into what works, and set the example in East County of how investing in safe communities and pathways to living wage employment transforms public investments into stability and self-sufficiency.”
The East County Package of amendments includes the following key legislative priorities:
Advancing Regional Community Safety, Accountability and Economic Opportunity
- Fully Funding the Gresham Homeless Services Team (Amendment #1): Secures $1,220,795 in ongoing funding to maintain the City of Gresham’s highly successful, dedicated Homeless Services Team at full capacity. This high-performing team takes full responsibility for localized outreach, case management, and permanent housing placements, consistently exceeding its county metrics—surpassing its FY2026 housing goals by 49% as of May 1, 2026. An accompanying budget note establishes a three-year intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to secure long-term service continuity for Gresham residents.
- Expanding Frontline Homeless Outreach and Human Services in Fairview, Wood Village, Troutdale and the unincorporated areas of East Multnomah County (Amendment #2) This amendment reallocates $600,000 from one-time General Fund resources to establish a dedicated, responsive, and geographically targeted homeless outreach and navigation service network exclusively serving East Multnomah County (District 4). This program will focus on linking unsheltered individuals directly to local behavioral health resources, stabilizing services, workforce opportunities and regional housing systems in coordination with local and county law enforcement.
- Full Restoration of Eviction Prevention Support (Amendment #3): Redirects $210,164 to reverse a budget cut to Youth and Family Services (Program Offer 25131C). Fully funding this program works upstream to help people avoid the traumatic and costly experience of homelessness, protecting them from displacement and eviction court proceedings.
- East County Mobile Health & Hygiene Services (Amendment #4): Restores $804,325 to continue critical, life-saving mobile and stationary shower, laundry, and preventative healthcare services across nine East County locations. Staffed primarily by individuals with lived experience, these services address immediate health and hygiene needs, build the trust necessary to connect unsheltered individuals to housing and employment resources, and preserve significant prior County capital investments.
- MCDA Strategic Prosecution Unit (Amendment #5): Allocates $1,253,221 in one-time General Funds to fully staff a 7.00 FTE specialized unit within the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. This team of prosecutors, investigators, and analysts will actively disrupt high-impact property crime networks—including organized retail theft, commercial burglaries, and auto theft—that place local businesses, neighborhoods, and families at direct risk.
- Workforce & Employment Services (Amendment #6): Restores $3,238,924 in funding for workforce and employment programs in service to people at risk of – or transitioning out of – homelessness. Championing economic empowerment, Jones-Dixon emphasized that supportive employment programs are highly effective at providing stability via opportunities for personal growth, steady income, and long-term housing. This amendment seeks to protect the services that ensure unhoused individuals have a sustainable pathway from County support to stability and self-sufficiency.
A Strategy Grounded in Fiscal Responsibility and Equity
Commissioner Jones-Dixon’s package strategically reduces centralized and non-localized program allocations to ensure that District 4 communities receive equitable funding.
The proposed amendments will be debated and voted on by the full Board of County Commissioners ahead of the final adoption of the FY 2026–2027 budget in June.