The Portland Street Response (PSR) program is teetering on the edge of financial limbo as budget cuts threaten its existence and potential expansion. The PSR, a pilot that sends unarmed crisis response teams to deal with mental health emergencies instead of police, might soon face the chopping block of city budgeting.

According to a report by KOIN, community members are rallying in support of the PSR, vocal at a meeting organized by the Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing. "I cannot fathom why it’s on the table to do anything but fully fund and grow this program," Downtown Portland resident Jeremy Smith asserted in the meeting, echoing the sentiments of many who view PSR as an essential service.

The current financial structure of the PSR includes nearly $6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, a reservoir of funds that will soon dry up, leaving a significant gap in the program's $11.5 million cost, reported by KATU. Portland Fire & Rescue, which currently manages PSR, is mulling over a transition of the program to the Community Safety Division amidst these fiscal uncertainties.

Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves confirmed to KATU the deliberations over PSR's future, stating the possibility of it being moved to the Community Safety Division. This transition comes at a time when questions regarding the financing and administration of such programs heighten. As the one-time American Rescue Plan funds approach exhaustion, Portland's innovative response to mental health crises hangs in the balance, its continuity contingent on the city's reassessment of priorities and allocation of resources.