After director’s departure, Coordinated Houseless Response Office may move to new oversight

(Update: Adding video)

Board to discuss possible move to COIC, already endorsed by county commissioners

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Since the resignation of its first-ever director, there's been a lot of uncertainty about what will happen with the county's Coordinated Houseless Response Office. The latest discussion involves changing the way it will be managed. 

When Cheyenne Purrington resigned in May in a five-page memo, she said the office was inhibited from finding solutions by a lack of consensus among elected officials. Now, some of those officials are considering a new approach.

Megan Perkins, a Bend city councilor and CHRO Board member, explains her support for moving the management of the coordinated houseless response office to the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council.

"We came to the conclusion that COIC would be a great place for this office because of the fact that they have experience in regional solutions and dealing with regional problems," Perkins said.

Deschutes County commissioners recently voted to support moving the office oversight to COIC as well.

COIC has a history of working with organizations serving the homeless. Its executive director, Tammy Baney, told NewsChannel 21 how it would manage the office, if moved.

"It would essentially work autonomously under our organization," Baney said. "We wouldn't want to be the governing structure for it, we don't want to guide what they're wanting to accomplish -- our role would be making sure they have the support to be able to achieve those goals."        

Baney says the support for the CHRO would primarily be structural -- assisting with staffing, planning, and meeting deadlines.

"We are the engine, not the car. We are the, 'let's make sure this happens, let's make sure we're tracking those outcomes, let's make sure we're accountable to the public, and let's make sure we have the resources to be able to achieve those,'" She added.

The board for the Coordinated Houseless Response Office will weigh in on the proposed change, but the COIC board will ultimately have the final decision. It's scheduled to be a topic for discussion at their August meeting.    

Baney says COIC needs clear expectations on the responsibilities, but expects the board to consider the option.

"There are a lot of political concerns about this topic -- about this particular office. And so it's making sure that our currency is being neutral, objective and supportive," Baney said.

Perkins believes the move makes sense for the office -- for aligning strategies instead of duplicating efforts.

"Rather than starting from scratch if the office is moved over there, we are really starting from such a high level -- based on particularly their experience that they have, already working on homeless issues in our community," Perkins said.

There is an organizational concern -- COIC is a tri-county organization, and the CHRO is solely focused on Deschutes County. Regardless, Perkins says the office is making progress.

"I think we've really turned a corner," she said. "I think we can start working on the implementation phase rather than the planning phase."

As for replacing the former director, Perkins says they're considering moving away from a director model and trying a collaborative leadership approach. They'll discuss that and other possible changes at a board meeting on July 20th.