Addressing the urgent problem of homelessness in Oregon, Governor Tina Kotek, in partnership with Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), has unveiled current and future outcomes resulting from a robust response to the crisis. Kotek's administration, since taking office, has been aggressively moving forward on an initiative that has seen an 80% completion in rehousing 650 households and made strides in preventing nearly 12,000 households from facing homelessness, according to the Oregon Governor's Office.
This initiative, further propelled by Executive Order 24-02 which Kotek signed on January 9, aims to not only extend the Emergency Homelessness Response but also to build upon the early success of EO 23-02. Under Kotek's tenure, an effort to quickly take action has been underway, aiming to eradicate the urgent crisis that has gripped numerous Oregon residents. The two orders have introduced a series of budgets and legislation injecting $500 million into the state's approach toward a sustainable resolution.
The announced outcomes, available on a data dashboard, highlight the completion of several key goals. Among these accomplishments is the maintenance of over 2,400 existing shelter beds and the addition of more than 1,700 new ones. Governor Kotek said, as per the Oregon Governor's Office, “Oregonians were clear that the homelessness crisis needed urgent action, and these preliminary results show what happens when we set ambitious goals and follow through with targeted, outcome-oriented policy and investments.”
