Both Republican and Democrat caucuses have agreed to prioritize Governor Kotek’s pledge to work on homelessness this session. Governor Kotek wanted to carve out $200 million to dedicate to the cause. But will this carveout become an ongoing budgeted item? Can homelessness be reduced if you just provide shelter and not provide skills for employment?

Ways and Means passed the Affordable Housing and Emergency Homelessness Response Package. This Housing Package includes HB 2001, $40.9 million for housing planning and makes it harder for landlords to evict deadbeat tenants; and HB 5019 that funds $155 million to specified state agencies to address homelessness, which Governor Kotek requested.

The Legislative Fiscal Office breaks downs HB 5019 allocations with the largest sum, $85.2 million, going to create 600 new shelter beds across emergency areas, and rehouse 1,200 unsheltered individuals. Isn’t that two people per bed, or maybe the are expected to sleep in shifts. The second largest amount, $33.6 million is anticipated to prevent homelessness for 8,750 households. No less than $6.55 million supports staffing and administration that is sure to be an on-going expense to taxpayers regardless of the results.

Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) said, “Without a bi-partisan commitment to reform Measure 110 and truly tackle the drug crisis in Oregon, I fear we will continue to see more of the same. While the bill provides expanded shelter capacity and rental assistance, I do not believe it gets to the heart of this issue – the failure of Measure 110 to provide meaningful access to treatment.”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

State Representative Anna Scharf (R-Yamhill/Polk) says, “While these bills do tackle some of the state's housing and affordable housing crisis, there is concern this package doesn't address Ballot Measure 110, which is at the heart of the homeless crisis.” Many homeless are receiving up to $1,500 per month in benefits, and SB 603, sponsored by Senator Winsvey Campos (D-Aloha), will add $1,000 with no strings attached.

Larger cities, mainly Portland, Salem and Eugene, liberals are finding out that a spike in shootings brought on by lawlessness and the homeless are a liability to their political well-being. They started pushing them out of downtowns. Over time they have been forced into rural towns and residential areas. Towns like Cottage Grove has quadrupled forcing the post office to close in the evenings, spreading into Creswell and other small towns that don’t have jobs for them or the means for sheltering or enforcing lawlessness.

Senator Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) had a message on the Senate floor regarding a forced Turnkey project turning a hotel into a shelter. The people in The Dalles are saying, “don’t Portland my Oregon.” The laws being passed are limiting local communities from solving their homeless problem with what works for their community.

Funding from these bills may help with temporary sheltering, but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem of joblessness. Until the over regulation of land use, restricting energy sources and high mandated labor costs are addressed, there will be no real visible return on the money spent in these bills.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-03-20 16:35:12

Last Update: 2023-03-20 00:57:44