Year Three Annual Report
The voter-approved Supportive Housing Services (SHS) Measure helped thousands of people leave homelessness for housing last year, while also adding behavioral health, substance use and daytime services, and supporting shelter and street outreach programs.
And in contrast with previous years’ spending, a new annual report from the Joint Office of Homeless Services also makes clear, the Joint Office of Homeless Services spent every new dollar it received from the measure last year and more, and has allocated every other remaining dollar carried over from past years.
Spending challenges in prior years were driven by two factors — revenues that vastly exceeded Metro’s forecasts, as well as staffing and contracting challenges that have since been solved.
The SHS Measure — approved by voters in 2020, with limited funds first arriving from Metro in 2021-22 — has vastly expanded the resources available to local counties to expand supportive housing, shelter, street outreach and other programs focused on helping people leave homelessness for permanent housing. Three years into the measure, Multnomah County has built up the necessary infrastructure to put the measure’s goals into action.
“I’m proud to say the Joint Office showed strong gains in both performance and spending this past fiscal year, and we have made great strides in our urgency and accountability in relation to this work,” said Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “What this really equates to is better support for people who are connected to our services. For many, this is a brand-new life.”
“This measure is working and is making a difference in our community, right now,” said Joint Office director Dan Field. “We’ve turned the corner on past underspending, and supported our providers in sheltering and housing thousands as a direct result of this measure.”
Highlights from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 for the Supportive Housing Services Measure in Multnomah County.
With SHS dollars, 2,322 people were supported in leaving homelessness for housing, a 76% increase over the previous year, thanks to the work of dozens of service providers. This is a significant portion of the overall total of 5,477 people who left homelessness for housing last year overall in Joint Office programs.
1,160 people served in emergency and behavioral health shelter beds with SHS dollars. While significant, this is just a fraction of the 9,101 people served in shelter overall last year in Multnomah County.
2,675 people served with outreach, legal services, and employment assistance funded by SHS.
105 new recovery beds created with SHS dollars.
Capacity at day services providers expanded with SHS dollars allowing for 90,000 additional visits annually.
Expand capacity at culturally specific providers, distributing $17.6 million to culturally specific service providers — a 91% increase over the allocated amount from the previous fiscal year.
Lead with equity with a focus on reducing racial disparities seen among people experiencing homelessness. Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC) made up 66% of people housed in SHS-funded permanent supportive housing and 64% of people housed in SHS-funded rapid rehousing.
Distribute $10 million in workforce stabilization grants to 61 homeless services providers, with a focus on helping reverse ongoing challenges in the homeless services workforce.
This year, Multnomah County used $15 million in SHS dollars to expand addiction treatment services. The Joint Office distributed SHS dollars to the County’s Behavioral Health Division to expand programs focused on people living with substance use disorders.
The Behavioral Health Division used SHS dollars to help provider Bridges to Change purchase a property in Gresham that will be used for an addiction treatment program to include both residential treatment and transitional housing. This investment demonstrated the power of bringing together multiple funding streams: The SHS investment was combined with a one-time investment from Care Oregon and funds from the State of Oregon’s 2021 settlement with pharmaceutical companies focused on the opioid epidemic.
The Health Department also used SHS funding to support longstanding community treatment providers to purchase properties that will serve as sober living facilities. The providers are Juntos NW, Miracles Club, Project Quest, Project Patchwork, and West Coast Sober Housing.
Overall, these investments resulted in 105 more recovery beds in Multnomah County.
The Joint Office of Homeless Services exceeded its spending goals agreed upon with Metro, the government agency that collects the tax and oversees the measure’s implementation. The Joint Office spent 80% of its program budget, above the 75% rate agreed upon with Metro. And, the department spent every dollar collected by Metro last year, meaning that spending was apace with revenue from the measure — even as Metro’s collections greatly exceeded its forecasts.
Originally, Metro had forecast that Multnomah County would receive $96.2 million in SHS dollars for FY 2024. In actuality, significant unanticipated revenue meant that Multnomah County received $140.4 million from Metro. Despite this huge difference between forecast and actual revenue, Multnomah County rose to the challenge, spending $143.5 million — dollars that have a direct impact on the lives of people experiencing homelessness.
Permanent supportive housing, an intervention proven to help people leave chronic homelessness, is one of the central investments of the SHS Measure.
Because it pairs deeply affordable housing with tailored, wraparound services, permanent supportive housing helps people find stability in housing and remain there long-term.
This year, the Joint Office is reporting that 89% of households in SHS-funded permanent supportive housing remained in housing one year later. This was well above the Joint Office’s 85% goal for one-year retention rates. While this rate is below the reported retention rate from last year’s SHS annual report, a drop was expected as the program continues to grow and more people enter this type of housing.
And for rapid rehousing — which provides a shorter term housing subsidy (usually up to 12 months) and supportive services — 85% of people reached by the Joint Office remained in housing one year after their subsidy ended and they were on their own.
These trends show that housing, in combination with supportive services, can permanently end someone’s homelessness.
HIV Day Center
'Sitting down, having a coffee, and being able to share your experience is really vital to your own mental health'
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon's Day Center offers a safe space for guests to meet their basic needs and find community.
Housing Multnomah Now
'Everything is easier when you have housing'
Brian experienced several years of homelessness, but never gave up on his dreams.
Permanent Supportive Housing
'I have a job. My daughter's happy. Life is good today.'
After years of instability, Monique and her daughter now have a place to call home.
Workforce stabilization grants
'All the trainings have set us up for success.'
Somali Empowerment Circle among 61 providers benefitting from flexible workforce stabilization grants.
Housing Mobile Intake Team
'Our clients who were houseless on the street...are now in apartments.'
County Homeless Mobile Intake Team, funded with SHS, supports older adults and people with disabilities.
Behavioral Health Shelter
'We're meeting people where they're at and able to partner with them toward their goals.'
New housing specialist in behavioral health motel shelter program — made possible with the SHS measure — helps participants find housing that meets their needs.
FUSE Program
'It's like my life is brand new'
Eric is housed with help from Frequent User Systems Engagement Program.
Youth Housing
'I'm proud of myself that I never gave up.'
Mini is housed with New Avenues for Youth's New Day program.
