Oregon mayors ask state for millions in homelessness assistance

Miranda Cyr and Dianne Lugo, Register-Guard
·3 min read
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Twenty-five Oregon mayors have joined together to propose a strategy to address the statewide homeless crisis.

Almost no Mid-Valley mayors were included in the proposal, including Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett.

A subcommittee on the Oregon Mayors Association, which included leaders from Detroit, Eugene, Portland and Bend, put together the request calling for a partnership between the cities and the state to fund homelessness and preventative programs – totaling about $123 million annually.

In addition to the annual funding for those programs, the plan also calls for construction investments for shelters and transitional housing projects.

The letter sent to state legislators Friday highlighted the crisis, stating municipal leaders "cannot be left to solve this statewide crisis" on their own.

"The No. 1 issue throughout Oregon – in both rural and urban communities, large and small – is homelessness. We know this humanitarian crisis is impacting both the individuals directly experiencing homelessness as well as communities at large," the OMA letter stated.

Although many cities have individual or regional programs to address local issues, the statewide crisis has exceeded their "individual capacity," the letter continued.

The 2022 Point-in-Time count identified 1,566 people living either unsheltered or in shelters in Salem — an increase of 15% from previous counts.

Salem City Council allocated $23.3 million during fiscal years 2022 and 2023 to respond to homelessness in the city, including microshelter locations, overnight safe park services and rental assistance.

Church in the Park opened an 80-pod microshelter in September, adding to a growing network of microshelters available throughout the city. In August, Salem's City Council approved $750,000 in state sheltering grant funds for another microshelter at Turner Road SE.

"No one single approach is effective without a collaborative and coordinated strategy to work together to create the quality of life we all want for everyone who lives in our cities and state," the letter stated. "Cities are one part of what must be a statewide approach. We need state leadership to allocate direct funding that is scaled to respond to the gravity of this crisis facing cities statewide."

Bennett said he had not signed the letter because he was unaware of the joint effort and that efforts to address homelessness in the city are ongoing.

"We do a great deal already," Bennett added.

Jeff Gowing, mayor of Cottage Grove and Oregon Mayors Association president, confirmed they had intentionally tried to limit the number of larger cities on the task force and had not reached out to Salem.

The task force began after Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler approached the Oregon Mayors Association Board in March and requested they form a task force to address homelessness at a state level, Gowing said.

"We wanted a good representation of the state," he said.

Rural communities can be forgotten and the committee hoped to avoid that, he said.

Bennett said he was sure Salem would become involved and join the partnership as it develops and if there was a role for the city.

Twenty-five mayors comprise the task force:

  • Jeff Gowing, Cottage Grove; OMA President

  • Teri Lenahan, North Plains; OMA President-Elect

  • Julie Akins, Ashland

  • Lacy Beaty, Beaverton

  • Gena Goodman-Campbell, Bend

  • Meadow Martell, Cave Junction

  • Beth Wytoski, Dayton

  • Jim Trett, Detroit

  • Lucy Vinis, Eugene

  • Carol MacInnes, Fossil

  • Travis Stovall, Gresham

  • Dave Drotzmann, Hermiston

  • Steve Callaway, Hillsboro

  • Kate McBride, Hood River

  • Carol Westfall, Klamath Falls

  • Ray Turner, Lakeview

  • Randy Sparacino, Medford

  • Jessica Engelke, North Bend

  • Ted Wheeler, Portland

  • Michael Preedin, Sisters

  • Richard Mays, The Dalles

  • Jason Snider, Tigard

  • Rod Cross, Toledo

  • Tom Vialpando, Vale

  • Henry Balensifer III, Warrenton

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon mayors ask for state funding to aid homeless crisis