OHCS distributed over $1.7 million statewide to strengthen winter shelter capacity – SALEM, OR – Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) provided over $1.7 million to organizations across the state that provide shelter to those without homes. To help ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of Oregonians experiencing homelessness, these investments will strengthen winter shelters by securing facilities to operate shelter, increasing the number of shelter beds, expanding operating hours, providing extended outreach, funding shelter staff, and purchasing bedding, mats, and blankets. “Temperatures have dropped below freezing across the state, and I am heartbroken for those without a roof over their heads,” said Director Margaret Salazar. “These resources will bring in Oregonians from the cold and allow local communities to address local needs.” OHCS made the following awards: Central Oregon Continuum of Care (Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson Counties), NeighborImpact – $150,000; Clackamas County Continuum of Care – $150,000; Jackson County Continuum of Care – $150,000; Lane County Continuum of Care – $150,000; Portland/Multnomah County Continuum of Care – $150,000; Washington County Continuum of Care – $150,000; Rural Oregon Continuum of Care (Balance of State) – $877, 696 total; Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency (Marion and Polk Counties) – $150,000; Yamhill Community Action Partnership – $145,000; Community Connection of Northeast Oregon (Baker, Grant, Union, and Wallowa Counties) – $55,790; Oregon Coast Community Action (Coos and Curry Counties) – $100,000; United Community Action Network (Douglas and Josephine Counties) – $75,000; Hood River Shelter – $11,000; Community Services Consortium (Linn, Benn, and Lincoln Counties) – $141,454; Community Action Team (Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook Counties) – $86,500; KLCAS (Klamath and Lake Counties) – $27,952; Helping Hands (Tillamook, Clatsop, Yamhill, and Lincoln Counties) – $85,000. These funds are from a one-time allocation of $5 million made to OHCS during the 2019 Legislative Session to address statewide winter shelter capacity. OHCS will release the remainder of these funds through a competitive process in 2020, using the recently released Statewide Shelter Study to prioritize investments. The Shelter Study found that Oregon needs an additional 5,814 shelter beds to provide relief to Oregonians experiencing homelessness identified in the Point-in-Time Count. The Point-in-Time Count attempts to capture both sheltered and unsheltered persons experiencing homelessness to provide a snapshot of homelessness in the United States. The 2019 Point-In-Time Count data demonstrates the continued need for shelter across the state. While the Point-in-Time Count provides critical information about those who cannot find a permanent place to call home on a given night in January, it does not tell the full story of homelessness in each community. Counting those impacted by homelessness is difficult due to a variety of factors and the intention of the Count is to give a general sense of homeless trends in Oregon and across the country.
