PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon lawmakers held a press briefing Wednesday after the Senate passed two bipartisan bills addressing the state’s homelessness and affordable housing crises.
Both bills — HB 2001 and HB 5019 — now go to Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk for her signature.
Senate President Rob Wagner said the entire Oregon legislature should be proud of the package “in an unprecedented early session victory around housing.”
“Faced with a statewide housing and homelessness crisis, we worked across the aisle and with our partners in the House and Governor’s office to put Oregon on a path toward a future where housing is available and affordable for everyone,” Wagner said in a statement.
Watch the full briefing in the video below.
The $200 million Affordable Housing and Emergency Homelessness Response Package would fund Governor Tina Kotek’s Homelessness State of Emergency.
The largest amount of funding from the package allocates $54 million to rental assistance and rehousing programs for people who are homeless. The governor’s office estimates this will help 1,200 people.
Another $33.5 million will pay for rental assistance and eviction defense, which officials say will help 9,000 others.
Additionally, $23.8 million will add 600 shelter beds in metro areas — part of the funding that Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler wants for his sanctioned camp plan.
In a letter obtained by KOIN 6 News, Wheeler writes to Kotek addressing the funding saying, “we must also acknowledge that many homeless individuals are unwilling to go into congregate shelter facilities.”
Wheeler goes on to say, “we see our temporary alternative shelter sites as filling this critical gap in services.”
“This is for shelters and there’s a very clear definition for that. There’s hard walls and locking doors and so tents aren’t part of the portion of this policy and we need to work with the local jurisdictions so that’s not part of this policy,” Rep. Maxine Dexter said – noting that work with the city is ongoing for future funding.
The mayor’s office points to guidelines from Gov. Kotek’s office that allows some money to be spent on shelter structures or pods, such as the shelters at Safe Rest Villages.
“This is exactly what we hoped the state would deliver: funding to help us get more people into shelter and housing, and with the wraparound support they need to stay housed,” Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson told KOIN 6 News.
She added, “the Governor’s Office and Legislature have specific goals in mind for what they want their resources to accomplish, and we have already begun working with the state — in a group that includes our partners in the Cities of Portland and Gresham and emergency management leadership — to plan for how we’ll achieve them. “
Pederson says the county has asked Kotek for funding to place 300 people into housing, create 150 shelter beds and prevent 2,000 households from becoming homeless. The county also asked for funding to study and develop a proposal for long-term rent assistant and resources to help households stabilize, Pederson said.
During Wednesday’s briefing, lawmakers noted a Point in Time count found there are 18,000 homeless Oregonians.
Rep. Jeff Helfrich said follow up housing bills need to be passed, and in-line with House Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson, said Measure 110 needs to be reformed to address drug addiction along with issues of homelessness.
The package would also establish an Oregon Housing Needs Analysis through the Oregon Department of Administrative Services. The annual analysis would look to boost housing for Oregonians “at all levels of affordability,” and project housing needs for the next 20 years along with needed housing for those facing homelessness, according to the bill text.
Additionally, the package would create a housing production dashboard with “housing equity indicators,” the bill says.
HB 2001 also aims to boost affordable housing production, including for middle-income earners and in 26 rural counties. Sen. Dick Anderson said housing providers “care about our state, and many have become extremely frustrated with the roadblocks and regulatory environment.”
He furthered, “they believe, just as I do, that the state needs more cooperation, creativity and innovation. We need to listen to these partners instead of shutting them out of conversation as too often happens in Salem.”
With $200 million on the line, Rep. David Gomberg noted the importance of accountability and said housing and the Ways and Means Committee will receive updates, including progress on housing production.
In a statement Tuesday night, Gov. Kotek said she is “deeply grateful to the housing providers, developers, landlords, advocates, impacted communities, and elected leaders on both sides of the aisle who have answered one of Oregon’s most pressing calls for help by supporting this response package.”