Salem stalemate may kill Bend homeless shelter funds

Measure would put $2.5 million toward 'navigation center'

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon House Democrats, frustrated by the continued walkout of most Republican lawmakers, are spotlighting specific bills in jeopardy, one that would send at least $2.5 million to Bend to tackle homelessness issues.

House Bill 4001, backed by a bipartisan group of legislators, declares a state of emergency to ease the development of shelters and transitional housing statewide, the lawmakers said in their news release on Wednesday.

It would also fund the development of regional "navigation centers" – including one in Bend, to the tune of $2.5 million. Navigation centers provide intensive support to help people connect with permanent housing and other critical services.

The bill also allocates $26.5 million to be available as grants to increase low-barrier shelter capacity, rapid rehousing services and hygiene facilities. Depending on grant distribution, Bend could also be the beneficiary of some of those funds.

"However, Bend will not see any of these investments if Republicans like Rep. Jack Zika (R-Redmond) do not return to Salem and vote on the measure," the Democrats said.

“Unsheltered homelessness is an emergency, and we can’t act on it soon enough,” said House Majority Leader Barbara Smith Warner (D-Portland). “The Oregon Legislature stands ready to allocate $45 million to address this crisis – the only thing standing in the way are the absent Republican legislators. We call on them to return to the Capitol to fulfill their oaths of office.”

Oregon is one of four states where more than half of all people experiencing homelessness are sleeping without permanent shelter. Currently, that is more than 10,000 individuals statewide, the Democrats said.

House Bill 4001 passed unanimously out of multiple committees and awaits a vote in the House. "If Republicans refuse to return from the walkout, this legislation will die on March 8," the constitutionally set end of the even-year legislative "short session."

Scott Cooper, executive director of NeighborImpact, said the original version of the legislation only had funding for navigation centers in Salem and Eugene.

"Central Oregon raised hell," he said, led by the Homeless Leadership Coalition and NeighborImpact.

Eventually, funding was added for such shelter-service combinations in Bend and McMinnville.

"What we asked for was $4.32 million and we got $2.5 million," Cooper said, "We would have been operating on a shoestring, for a startup phase that would have taken some time."

Navigation centers are shelters that offer services, "everything from showers to food to a place to receive mail," Cooper said, calling them "well-established concepts" Bend would benefit from. "They're more prevalent in California," he said.

The emergency warming shelter that opened in December in part of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office work release center will be closing March 15, and a remodeling project means it won't be available for next winter.

"What we want is a permanent home in Bend, so we don't have to start up and shut down," Cooper said.

Cooper said both Zika and Bend Rep. Cheri Helt are on the House Housing and Human Services Committee. "There's where we got a hearing," he said. "They obviously have input, but they can only do so much."

House Speaker Tina Kotek "has been very responsive, very open" about the need for such a facility in Central Oregon, he added.

But now, that all could be for naught, if the session ends without that and many other bills, due to the stalemate over cap and trade legislation.

"We're not going to get all in an uproar, because there are big principles at stake over that energy bill," Cooper said. "But, yeah…"