Multnomah County received more than 150 pieces of written testimony – and heard directly from more than two-dozen people – about the importance of expanding homelessness, health and other social services during a public hearing Wednesday, June 1.
The meeting was the third and final public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners formally adopts the final Fiscal Year 2023 budget Thursday, June 16.
“Tonight’s hearing is my very last one,” said Chair Deborah Kafoury, who will leave the Board next year because of term limits. “Attending these budget hearings has always been one of my favorite parts of serving Multnomah County.”
Nonprofit and business leaders celebrate investments in homelessness services
Ian Austin, who works for Central City Concern, offered himself as a living example of the importance of investing in programs that end homelessness. Since 2018, he said, he’s been substance free. He attributed his sobriety to the Joint Office of Homeless Services, whose programs, he said, helped lift him out of homelessness.
Recently, Austin obtained a two-year degree from Portland Community College and transferred to Portland State University, where he is in his junior year. He also has a full-time job “planting seeds of change” in other people.
“This would not have been possible without the resources provided by your Joint Office of Homeless Services,” Austin said. “I pay taxes today. I’m an asset to the world.”
Gary Cobb, who works in Central City Concern’s Public Policy Department, thanked Commissioners for their investments in the community.
“I want to thank you all for all the support that you have shown to Central City Concern and all the other nonprofits doing amazing work to end homelessness and a positive life for folks in our community,” Cobb said.
Ashley Henry, executive director of Business for a Better Portland, which represents more than 400 companies and businesses, highlighted the range and breadth of the County’s term investments in homelessness services.
The Joint Office’s proposed budget – including County funds, Supportive Housing Services Measure funds, City of Portland funds and federal funds – would invest a record $255.5 million to expand shelter programs, housing placements and launch new partnerships with the County’s Behavioral Health Division.
More than half, $130 million, is marked for shelter, helping continue an ongoing expansion in capacity that added hundreds of beds during the COVID-19 pandemic. That significant increase in shelter investments includes funds from the Supportive Housing Services Measure, along with County, federal and City funds. Overall, the budget would allow the Joint Office to support more than 2,400 adult shelter beds, almost double the number before the pandemic.
An additional $100 million would go toward housing placements, rent assistance and support services that permanently end people’s homelessness.
Through the first nine months of the current fiscal year, Joint Office funds helped more than 2,700 people move into housing and out of homelessness, including 500 people helped by the Supportive Housing Services Measure. An additional 400 people served by the measure funds are enrolled in programs and actively seeking housing.
“Multnomah County needs a budget that funds the continuum of services necessary to provide immediate and lasting relief,” Henry said. “That includes shelter, affordable housing, and wrap-around services. As proposed, this budget prioritizes all three.”
Blanchet House, another County partner, serves meals to people in Portland’s downtown core. On Monday, May 2, the nonprofit reopened its indoor dining hall after the pandemic disrupted their meal service.
Scott Kerman, Blanchet House’s executive director, thanked the Board for funding a program last fall that pays peer support specialists to work with Blanchet and three other nonprofits serving people experiencing homelessness in Old Town.
He urged the Board to continue funding the first-of-its kind program next year, speaking to the value of having peers at the nonprofit’s lunch and dinner services.
“I can tell you, in real time, it helps people,” Kerman said. “To have them on site during our services will make a real difference. And this will be money well spent.”
Some community members expressed their concerns about conditions in Old Town and the surrounding areas. Elizabeth Nye, the executive director of the Chinese Garden, urged the Board to address behavioral health and sanitation issues taking place in the blocks surrounding the cultural landmark.
“First, thank you Chair Kafoury for allocating $1.1 million for Old Town inreach in the proposed budget,” Nye said. “Second, I’m asking you to reconsider how Multnomah County vector control approaches the rat infestations we experience in Old Town. . . . The need is urgent and please know your investments and attention to these issues are critical to whether Old Town emerges and thrives or sinks and drowns.”
Testimony highlights importance of culturally specific services
Other speakers underscored the role of culturally specific service providers in meeting the community’s needs. Represented organizations included the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), the Urban League of Portland, the Pacific Islander Coalition of Multnomah County, Prism Health, and Latino Network.
Tony DeFalco, executive director of Latino Network, thanked the Board for centering equity in the County’s services. Founded in 1996, Latino Network is a culturally specific organization that works to transform the lives of Latinx youth, families and communities.
DeFalco said the nonprofit is “proud to continue our partnerships with the County to deliver high-quality, culturally specific programming across the range of ages and needs in the Latinx community.”
In particular, DeFalco said, the County remains the nonprofit’s strongest partner in addressing gun violence, adding that culturally rooted violence intervention and prevention is the “key to public safety and community well-being.”
Alex Riedlinger, a policy advocacy coordinator and community organizer at IRCO, said the nonprofit’s “largest and most vital” services are funded by Multnomah County. Founded in 1976 by immigrants and refugees, IRCO provides direct services to Portland’s immigrant and refugee communities.
Riedlinger highlighted the County’s investments in energy and housing assistance, youth violence prevention and intervention, Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) sites, and food pantries.
Since COVID-19 arrived in Multnomah County, Riedlinger said, IRCO has seen an increased need to address the intersecting needs of housing, mental health and community safety.
The County’s proposed budget “will help ensure healthier outcomes for our communities, provided these programs are designed with equity, language accessibility and cultural responsiveness in mind,” Riedlinger said.
Jennifer Parrish Taylor, the director of advocacy and public policy at the Urban League, noted her appreciation for the proposed budget, but said more must be done to promote workforce equity for culturally-specific staff.
“The County must commit to holistically supporting community-based nonprofits through contracts that are reflective of our work and worth, but must also trust that we have that technical expertise to do that said work,” Parrish Taylor said.
Community members applaud action on climate change
Noelle Studer-Spevak, a board member with Families for Climate, commended the Board for taking action to address the climate crisis.
In an era in which “climate leadership is in short supply,” Studer-Spevak said, the County has grown “sensible programs,” including weatherization, emergency responses, and long-term efforts to address heat islands in Multnomah County.
Studer-Spevak also applauded the County’s decision to switch to clean electricity in all new County buildings. She encouraged the Board to advocate for all new homes to have clean electricity.
“It’s time to ease the individual burden of ensuring clean indoor air by sending a clear signal to the building community that all new construction in Multnomah County will be electric,” Studer-Spevak said.
There’s still time to submit written testimony
Multnomah County is continuing to accept written testimony at multco.us/budget-feedback before the Board adopts a final FY 2023 budget Thursday, June 16.
“We still have another couple weeks until we vote on the budget until June 16,” Chair Kafoury said, “so there’s plenty of time to let us know your thoughts, your concerns or your support.”