In Clackamas County, the Supportive Housing Services (SHS) program has demonstrated significant progress in tackling chronic homelessness. The county's Chair, Tootie Smith, announced, "Our county is serious about ending homelessness, and we’re seeing great progress through SHS." Smith's statement highlighted the county's achievement of meeting and exceeding several goals it had set out for the SHS program's third year, as outlined in a report published online by Clackamas County's official website.
According to the preliminary outcomes, 1,228 households avoided homelessness thanks to SHS funding, shattering the initial target of aiding 625 households. Clackamas County also surpassed its goals for rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing placements; moreover, it sustained and created additional shelter units, with the unexpected upshot being a 65% reduction in homelessness per recent point-in-time counts. This notable achievement comes when the program's expenditure saw an impressive tripling from the year before, climbing to more than $54 million used to establish a comprehensive network of homeless services.
A key initiative of the SHS program is the Coordinated Housing Access (CHA) program, which makes it easier for county residents to get housing assistance. This program won the National Association of Counties Award in Oregon. The county has also partnered with over 20 community organizations to open specialized shelters, including one for Native American families run by the Native American Youth and Family Center.
Clackamas County has made progress in new housing developments, opening Good Shepherd Village in Happy Valley and Mercy Greenbrae in Lake Oswego. These projects, done in partnership with Catholic Charities and Mercy Housing, help residents stay securely housed. As the third year of the SHS program ends, the county is close to its goal of providing permanent supportive housing for 1,065 households. This is part of a larger plan to create 5,000 supportive housing units over ten years. The final report on the third year's efforts will be released on October 31.
