COIC opens application period for state-funded projects to create shelter beds, rehouse homeless
Region receives $13.9 million to meet goals under governor's program
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- On Jan. 10th, Governor Kotek announced a series of executive orders aimed at reducing unsheltered homelessness in Oregon.
Funds flow through the Continuum of Care system, and Executive Order 23-02 allocates $13.9 million to Central Oregon (Crook, Jefferson, & Deschutes counties) to achieve the following two goals before January 10th, 2024:
- Create 111 new shelter beds
- Rehouse 161 households from unsheltered homelessness
The funding must be spent and projects operational by January 10th, 2024. With such a tight turnaround, projects with the highest chance of success and the greatest impact will be prioritized. There are a variety of projects that, while surely impactful, may not fit the narrow requirements that are specified in this funding. You can learn more about the requirements by reading more on the State of Oregon’s website at https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/Pages/housing-eo.aspx
In February, Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) was contacted by the State of Oregon and asked to convene a Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) Group for the planning and priority identification portion of the Executive Order process.
COIC began convening the MAC group in early March and submitted an initial draft plan to the State of Oregon in mid-March. All meetings and materials from that process, as well as the most current version of the plan, can be accessed at https://www.coic.org/eo2302/
COIC is facilitating an application process to help Central Oregon Service Providers move projects from concept into reality. The official application for funding is open and can be accessed at COIC’s Executive Order webpage at https://www.coic.org/eo2302/. The submission deadline is Monday, May 8th at 11:59 PM.
COIC is excited for the positive impact this opportunity will have on our community; however, there is still a lot of work to be conducted. COIC is coordinating a grants committee with regional representation to evaluate applications and award funds to selected project applicants across Central Oregon.
“Our region has a short timeline to achieve very aggressive goals set forth by Governor Kotek. COIC is eager to get the first phase of funding into the hands of our regional partners” noted Tammy Baney, executive director for COIC.
Funding from this opportunity will flow in two phases. COIC received $3.6 million to support work immediately with up-front funding. After July 1st, the remaining funding will become available on a reimbursement basis for projects awarded under this opportunity.
Please reach out to Chris Ogren at Cogren@coic.org with any questions, comments, or concerns.
