County considering Continuum of Care formation

“This is, in part, in response to and parallel to the governor’s executive order earlier this year on homeless services funding, as well as our ongoing work with our House Bill 4123 committee, about to deliver the draft of our comprehensive five-year plan, as well the opening of the county’s own sheltering operation in a few weeks,” she said.

Gov. Tina Kotek issued three orders in January 2023, declaring a state of emergency due to homelessness, directing state agencies to prioritize reducing homelessness and establishing a statewide housing production goal and a council to oversee it.

HB 4123 requires Oregon Department of Administrative Services to provide grants for certain coordinated homeless response systems. The bill reads, in part, “Whereas the lack of available housing, high rents and high home prices are driving rapid increases in housing instability and homelessness in Oregon; and Oregon has experienced a significant increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness and unsheltered homelessness. Funding, resources and services to address homelessness in Oregon are not scaled to meet this need [and] the lack of housing affordability and availability in Oregon cannot be addressed without cross-jurisdictional collaboration.”

The bill mandates the Oregon Department of Administrative Services provide grants to local governments and nonprofit corporations, agree to form a homeless response system to create a coordinated homeless response office, and create specific roles within it.

Hall said the governor’s first order excluded 26 rural counties, including Lincoln, but Rep. David Gomberg later passed a separate bill to provide emergency funding to those counties, which make up the balance of the state’s Continuum of Care.

What is it?

The term Continuum of Care is a broad description of the complex overall effort to assist and house homeless people. It was established by Congress in 1994 to collect data and use a single coordinated application to channel money into homeless services. According to Hall’s presentation, the Rural Oregon CoC was created to serve areas of the state that are not part of a regional or single-county CoC.

“The Continuum of Care Program is designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and State and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities by homelessness; promote access to and affect utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness,” the Housing and Urban Development website states.

Hall said that if Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties had a collective CoC in January, it would have received $10 million in state funding, but instead received $3 million.

Hall said later that an inadequately conducted Point in Time count kept Lincoln County from inclusion in the governor’s first order.

“We applied but we were not approved,” she said.

Point in Time counts are essentially a snapshot census of homeless persons in cities and communities. Those numbers directly affect the amount of funding allocated by state and federal governments to deal with homeless issues.

Hall said Marion and Polk counties may serve as models for Lincoln County, but HUD is pushing to consolidate CoCs rather than create new ones, while Lincoln County has watched the process with interest.

DIY CoC?

“HUD doesn’t even have a process for starting a new CoC” Hall said, “but what they did in the valley was collect a large number of resolutions and support letters, not only from local governments, but service partners.” It formed Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance and was able to secure funding from state and private sources, in just two years, but Hall warned that local results for following that formula may vary.

“But at least it shows some potential,” she said.

Hall said the governor’s administration will funnel homeless funding through tribes, community action agencies, public housing authorities and CoCs.

“This is the first time in history that the state is using CoCs as a funding mechanism,” she said. “As someone at our planning meeting said, ‘this is a game-changing moment.’”

However, participating government agencies will have to put up ongoing operating expenses for a new CoC, and a potential timeline is not yet available.

Responding to a question from Commissioner Casey Miller, Hall said a tri-county CoC may work for Lincoln County, since there are several influential voices at the table.

Hall said formation of a local CoC is in the early stages, but gave her presentation to make the commission aware.

Asked later what changes would come from a locally formed CoC, Hall said it would likely create a designated local office with staff dedicated to recruiting and training for Point in Time counts, actively pursuing grants and locating other funding for homeless services.

Future installments will include discussions with local nonprofit homeless service providers, state representatives, homeless persons on the coast and law enforcement officials, among others.