Portland mayor, Multnomah County chair release details of joint plan to get more homeless off the streets

PORTLAND, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson held a news conference Monday where they announced the details of a joint plan aimed at getting more homeless people off the streets over the next two years, KGW reports.

The draft for the Homelessness Response Action Plan includes short-term and long-term goals to expand shelter and behavioral health beds, and some framework to address racial disparities in homelessness.

"Portlanders have rightly demanded action from their elected leaders, and the implementation of this plan will result in a more effective and unified strategy to address the homelessness crisis," Wheeler said in a news release.

Below are some of the key goals in the drafted plan:

• Shelter or house an additional 2,699 people by Dec. 31, 2025
• Add 1,000 shelter beds in two years, and provide housing and health resources through a new Community Sheltering Strategy
• Add hundreds more behavioral health beds and open a drop-off sobering center
• Increase the number of adults leaving shelter for permanent housing by 15% by Dec. 31, 2025
• Ensure that 75% of people in permanent supportive housing retain their housing 24 months after placement
• Reduce unsheltered homelessness for specific communities, including people of color and those who identify as LGBTQ+
• End all behavior health, health system or hospital discharges to the street by Dec. 31, 2025
• End discharges from corrections settings to the street by the end of 2026
• End homelessness for youth aging out of foster care in Multnomah County by 2027
• Increase affordable housing through a number of ways including regulatory changes and new construction funding sources

Wheeler and Vega Pederson first announced the Homelessness Response Action Plan in December 2023.

"Multnomah County is committed to collaborating with the City, State, providers, and community members to ensure the most vulnerable people in our communities have the resources they need to be safe, sheltered and on the path to permanent housing," Vega Pederson said.

Gov. Tina Kotek commended Wheeler and Vega Pederson on the plan.

"This is the kind of coordination, data tracking, and vision required to address our acute homelessness crisis and improve outcomes for the entire community. The state is ready to be a partner in its success," Kotek said.

Portland Commissioner Carmen Rubio said in a statement that she was pleased to see increased cooperation between the city and county. 

The public will have the chance to give their feedback. A virtual town hall will be held on March 18 for service providers, and another one on March 21 will be open to the public. The public comment period runs through March 29, and the final plan is expected to be released by the end of April.