[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6592088,"mediaKeyId","2952908-e522b3081bd793d206b793a520c6e126","parentId",2952908,"title","Advocates urge county to protect culturally specific behavioral health funding and expand recovery housing","audioSeconds",568,"startMs",135000,"endMs",703000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2952908-e522b3081bd793d206b793a520c6e126&start=135&end=703","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2952908-e522b3081bd793d206b793a520c6e126/thumbnail_135000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6592088/Multnomah-County/Oregon/Advocates-urge-county-to-protect-culturally-specific-behavioral-health-funding-and-expand-recovery-housing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6592088-73ea59b4ec73c6c1849f38ca5fafef30/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158239&Signature=LROEBk6QOJkCGDLWzVX-dcfXcaZW1HYwyj437k~JgERU6SL4vtu4RbzzNBgJKMCNG4c50eefCDJHSWwdft-OdUFuw4-SfT3fWXEt39d8gH5RNWHlKiGFFu~XCyXb1H7sXsUnPAUl6oLOSJkomVURtlo16gIDoB71TuAhdGXjjnaQGIShn877oH2NRluFm39nG~YFQXPWUmjropizH6GReSZlNG10XB6N4ZQSRjWK~9F6W0~NeruD80A0GHe3BjuWPnHBEyiC37Vs1UQODYrlMLtbgJW9gyNuaFdnJbOJgyRYtccZNtIyGw7RoyTdKF-m3cyGGZozqDfBHpehKrzo5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Multnomah County","date","2025-04-10T19:33:49.743Z","article","Several public commentators told the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners Thursday that local behavioral health funding cuts are jeopardizing culturally specific services and recovery housing while urging closer county attention to mental health and peer-led engagement.

Anne Casper, a longtime volunteer and peer advocate, told the board she worried that the county's Office of Consumer Engagement has shifted emphasis toward addiction-focused programming and away from mental health peer culture. \"We're not quite sure what that office is doing for mental health,\" Casper said, and asked the board to hire people from the mental health community for the office, produce a monthly newsletter and provide training for judges on mental-health culture and language.

Devarshi (Devarshi) Bajpai, CEO of Aura Health and a person with lived experience of recovery, urged commissioners to prioritize transitional recovery housing ' a middle tier of housing between shelters and permanent supportive housing. Bajpai told the board that residential treatment is expensive and that the county needs about 2,000 transitional recovery beds but currently has roughly 500 in the Portland metro area. \"If we can create this middle level of housing with transitional recovery housing, we can use our residential resources more effectively,\" he said.

Jose Luis Garcia, executive director of Huntos Northwest, said Measure 110 funds had helped create culturally and linguistically specific recovery programs serving Black, Brown and Indigenous communities, but he warned many of those programs face cuts. Garcia said some providers are eliminating positions and closing programs, and he urged the board to honor the county's April 8, 2021 declaration that systemic racism is a public health crisis by protecting funding for culturally specific services.

Other public speakers criticized the county's homeless response system and argued for improved data systems and mental-health investments. Several speakers asked the board to maintain funding for harm reduction services, culturally specific navigation, peer support and housing placement assistance.

The board did not take formal action on these public comments during the meeting. Commissioners acknowledged the testimony and referenced the broader budget and federal agenda discussions also on the agenda.

Provenance: Public comment on behavioral health and Measure 110 begins with Anne Casper's remarks and concludes when the clerk closed public testimony for the item.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","04.10.25 Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Public testimony at the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners' April 10 meeting urged the board to protect culturally specific behavioral health programs funded by Measure 110, to hire mental-health community members in county engagement offices, and to add transitional recovery housing beds to the housing continuum.","taxTitle","Multnomah County, Oregon","taxId",2759,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6592092,"Board gives first reading to ordinance creating lobbying registration and reporting rules; commissioners set delayed implementation",1939,9392000,11331000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2952908-e522b3081bd793d206b793a520c6e126&start=9392&end=11331","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2952908-e522b3081bd793d206b793a520c6e126/thumbnail_9392000.jpg","/articles/6592092/Multnomah-County/Oregon/Board-gives-first-reading-to-ordinance-creating-lobbying-registration-and-reporting-rules-commissioners-set-delayed-implementation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6592092-b2d37b7fe3ebdf3cba2bf76d7df3c6d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158239&Signature=Qs~wel-22jZEsxuLI0hlMwJNQmxv7d0TD7u5t0TJ6xrVNDMiKqvKW3206piartA-1G11I1OCoNfYmk9OGUONlG67Wl3~esJR7lGFY5~VlSSSaFQLXDg0KVFgZisJFt0ev8tbq1OKwV0byi7APdoZKnddUzMp197TK30zB9n6ziho2pGlWU28yqh4YdIAfG1zCNq2AGk-RDnXBSEf~pKfJfoeWXti7RethANXxDKRh1hNxmOX5BGLyTD3FRaKRZi-Dy1FE-VwHgQykKsLEYFnv1jcEiFURIZ-89xrlAa1BCNMGecWKnlPnLEhX5hJGeCWb90H~hJYWhmFdSOQisOa3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved a first reading Thursday of an ordinance establishing lobbying registration and quarterly reporting requirements for paid lobbyists, a one-year cooling-off period for some former officials, and new calendar-posting requirements for commissioners.

The ordinance defines lobbying as attempts to influence legislative action through communication with public officials, and requires persons or firms that spend 10 or more hours lobbying county officials in a quarter to register as lobbyists within three business days and file quarterly reports listing expenditures over $50 and naming public officials who received reportable benefits. The $50 reporting threshold mirrors an existing state standard.

Commissioners emphasized voluntary compliance and education as implementation priorities. The measure creates a set of escalating administrative penalties for noncompliance but aims first to inform and assist prospective filers. It also bars county elected officials, department directors and staff from lobbying the county for one year on matters over which they exercised authority as public officials; the ordinance permits the chair or designee to grant exceptions after written findings that the county's best interest favors the contract.

Commissioner Bridal Edwards, who co-led the measure with Commissioner Singleton, said the rules align Multnomah County with other large jurisdictions and respond to community requests for greater transparency. Commissioner Singleton noted the ordinance is designed to exclude unpaid public advocates from the lobbyist definition and to exempt testimony or responses to direct requests from commissioners.

Board members discussed implementation logistics: where the program should be housed (options include the county clerk, county counsel, or auditor'model), software and staffing costs to accept online filings, and the need for public education. The county attorney advised a staged approach: the lobbying registration and reporting sections would have delayed implementation while calendar-posting and contracting-related provisions would take effect 30 days after the chair signs the ordinance.

After discussion, the board approved the first reading. The chair scheduled the second reading for May 1, 2025. Commissioners asked staff to produce an implementation plan that includes hosting training sessions for prospective filers, estimating software and staffing costs, and recommending the appropriate county office to administer the program.

Provenance: The ordinance item (R6) was introduced at the meeting's later session and concluded when the board completed the first reading vote.","Multnomah County commissioners on April 10 approved on first reading an ordinance to require registration and quarterly reporting for paid lobbyists, expand cooling-off rules for former officials and require quarterly posting of commissioners' official calendars. The board set an implementation delay to allow staff to build systems and training.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6592096,"Board approves series of budget modifications to cover $57.1 million shortfall in Homeless Services",4997,4394000,9391000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2952908-e522b3081bd793d206b793a520c6e126&start=4394&end=9391","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2952908-e522b3081bd793d206b793a520c6e126/thumbnail_4394000.jpg","/articles/6592096/Multnomah-County/Oregon/Board-approves-series-of-budget-modifications-to-cover-571-million-shortfall-in-Homeless-Services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6592096-5548fdaebc8cec950360916ee71dfe65/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158239&Signature=eOJHDxHzYQinC-IzBIwQ0XHhAIvVm52wtnWCFnSVo7YmAAVZfkpoPJ7wLAXdxpMKrZ~V5SVhf0~MHBulUwbJSjU4d0k8Yv3iNynmoqEVufTIg7su2akZmR6f8MsfN95jFzYunAuA~3gloUOZp~tOiOiuipS~9ag9qIIDJE-6egGkKICREbfuLPuALnsNkIGibNpyCYS73lFRnINIWZXvv1NjALDwxZwt7JBUwjyvi2~UhQPkHHo8Y7zkHaPOWgMRctdWC2IcGc-PVVUAijmkwq-iR~ZsAbYCSlFREpGiA-99Ffc6sqas08kKBxl9U1UW1JOhpgw67i3z8Zl1cV1bsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved four budget modifications Thursday designed to close a $57.1 million shortfall in the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) for fiscal year 2025.

The board voted to: accept additional state and federal sheltering funds; reprogram underused program budgets and one-time carryover; authorize use of the regional strategic implementation fund (RSIF) carryover; and draw from the department's stabilization reserve and county contingency to balance FY25.

The shortfall stems from three factors JOHS staff outlined: $26.5 million in spending above plan (carryover drawdown), an $8.5 million shortfall in tax collections versus forecast and a $22 million downward adjustment by Metro in the SHS (Supportive Housing Services) revenue forecast. Finance manager Antoinette Payne summarized the result as a $57.1 million gap that reduces the department's SHS budget from $304.8 million to an adjusted $247.7 million for FY25.

JOHS Director Dan Field told the board the department aimed to \u001cmanage resources effectively and prudently\u001d so the county can \u001cachieve the mission and the outcomes\u001d of the homeless services system. The department's plan combined one-time and ongoing measures while prioritizing service continuity.

Key elements the board approved:

- R2 (JOHS 0042530202B): Accept an additional federal/state appropriation to the federal-state fund (stated on the agenda as $2,348,783) to support 61 household placements and related shelter-to-housing connections. The board approved R2 by roll call (Moyer, Singleton, Bridal Edwards, Jones Dixon and Chair Vega Peterson voted yes).

- R3 (JOHS 525): Programmatic adjustments to reduce $17.8 million in planned spending this fiscal year by harvesting underspend and delaying elements of planned expansions that had not yet opened. Antoinette Payne and Deputy Director Anna Plumb told the board these reductions would not reduce current shelter capacity; rather they pause planned new placements, units and tenant-based vouchers that were budgeted but not yet operating this year. The board approved R3 by roll call.

- R4 (JOHS 06/5900B): Use $9.3 million from the Regional Strategic Implementation Fund (RSIF) carryover (a tri-county planning-body set-aside administered by JOHS) to support regional priorities such as the Homeless Management Information System, coordinated entry, landlord recruitment and technical assistance. The Tri-County Planning Body voted earlier to permit the use of those accumulated funds; the board approved R4 by roll call.

- R5 (JOHS 00725300068): Rebalance one-time carryover by authorizing $23,476,045 for stabilization reserve and contingency to balance the shortfall. JOHS warned that using reserves will leave limited buffer for additional shortfalls this fiscal year and the county must adopt a plan to replenish reserves in future budgets; CFO Eric Arellano said county policy requires a restoration plan and suggested replenishment within a three-year window. The board approved R5 by roll call.

Board members asked multiple detailed questions. Commissioners emphasized two priorities: avoid interrupting services to people already in shelter or housing programs and seek more frequent, collaborative forecasting with Metro. Anna Plumb said the programmatic reductions target money committed to units or vouchers that are not yet operational, including 200 tenant-based vouchers planned for FY25 and five delayed permanent supportive housing projects; she reiterated the department is not removing currently operating beds.

Several commissioners expressed concern about the structural FY26 funding gap and asked staff to continue work on FY26 options, to coordinate with other county departments for underspend that could be used, and to press Metro for more frequent and transparent revenue forecasts.

The board recorded the roll call approvals for the budget modifications. Commissioners Moyer, Singleton, Bridal Edwards, Jones Dixon and Chair Vega Peterson voted yes for each item.

Provenance: JOHS budget gap presentation begins at the board item R.2 and concludes after R5 when the final budget modification was approved by roll call.","Multnomah County approved four budget modifications April 10 to address an estimated $57.1 million shortfall in the Joint Office of Homeless Services for FY25, using a mix of state and federal grants, program pauses, contingency and reserve funds while avoiding cuts to existing shelter capacity.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6592101,"Multnomah County adopts 2025 federal legislative agenda amid uncertainty over federal policies",3019,1371000,4390000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2952908-e522b3081bd793d206b793a520c6e126&start=1371&end=4390","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2952908-e522b3081bd793d206b793a520c6e126/thumbnail_1371000.jpg","/articles/6592101/Multnomah-County/Oregon/Multnomah-County-adopts-2025-federal-legislative-agenda-amid-uncertainty-over-federal-policies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6592101-b3813d298a5c7c454d4dd024e87d7246/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158239&Signature=jA8g1FZniOHm9DSzVUkrJNv6VjAJBUsz-e8BZisEgd7Qdl47reklkwkn5ezpe6fCbJp67IL3OkH~h9YuIFAl4dEgtEKi0gnXSqWitNfDLkSeE6vPgHF2zVcO9QIH~sJNJQUJqIBK8wbTweQj1kvi-S4dI4xtjuNXYnIdWUu25gmD7et~0AxT96RKEKbgf0gVyRsrQo4gQbRerKK-zdEQEBxvh8UycdRuY3-GRMYnb2oLNjYpJahIhloq73bWOFap9mGA-y5iNV58xq9sOA5cqsg-aOSq9pFNL7s-SwgwX3j5gp0W3PN5ojyWWbcbx7S~3tc7C4mCgvNcHB9YCXseWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to accept the county's 2025 federal legislative agenda after a presentation by the county government relations team and its Washington, D.C., lobbyists.

The agenda, presented by Stacy Cowan, interim director of government relations, and federal lobbyists Vicki Kramm and Pamela Welsh of Thorn Run Partners, emphasizes defending federal funding for housing, Medicaid, behavioral health, and programs for vulnerable populations while preparing for administrative changes at the federal level.

The agenda matters because county departments rely heavily on federal grants and program funding. Presenters warned the board that the current federal administration's executive orders, litigation, and workforce reductions could alter funding and program rules, making coordinated federal advocacy essential.

Cowan told the board the county's federal approach is budget-focused and relationship-driven: \u001cWe work with federal agencies such as HUD, USDOT, HHS, and others to make sure agency staff is aware of what's happening here at the county and then how they might be helpful.\u001d Vicki Kramm, the county's federal lobbyist, described a volatile federal landscape of executive orders and lawsuits and urged readiness to respond as opportunities arise in Congress.

The agenda lists priority areas that include reducing homelessness and enhancing housing resources (support for HUD Continuum of Care, Housing Choice Vouchers and braided funding), defending access to health and behavioral health services (Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare, and preservation of Medicaid waiver flexibility), protecting vulnerable populations (immigrants, refugees, low-income households and BIPOC communities), strengthening tribal consultation capacity, improving community resiliency (disaster mitigation and critical infrastructure such as the Burnside Bridge), and supporting economic vitality (tax-exempt municipal finance and trade).

Commissioners pressed staff on how the agenda will be used. Commissioner Moyer said the presentation and slides were a realistic depiction of the current federal environment and suggested the county prioritize items where it can secure wins. Cowan and the lobbyists said the agenda is intended as a values-driven roadmap and a flexible framework to act when legislative or administrative openings appear.

The board voted by roll call. Commissioners Moyer, Singleton, Bridal Edwards, Jones Dixon and Chair Vega Peterson all voted yes; the board recorded the legislative agenda as approved.

County staff and the lobbyists said they will keep the board informed as congressional and administrative developments unfold and as budget and reconciliation processes proceed in Washington.

The board's action instructs staff to continue federal advocacy work consistent with the adopted priorities and to coordinate with the county's congressional delegation and regional partners.

Provenance: The presentation began with the item captioned \u001cR1, 2025 federal legislative agenda and updates\u001d and concluded when the board approved the agenda by roll call.","The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously April 10 to accept a 2025 federal legislative agenda that prioritizes housing, health and protection of vulnerable populations as county staff warned of federal administrative changes and volatile funding.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Advocates urge county to protect culturally specific behavioral health funding and expand recovery housing

Board gives first reading to ordinance creating lobbying registration and reporting rules; commissioners set delayed implementation

Board approves series of budget modifications to cover $57.1 million shortfall in Homeless Services

Multnomah County adopts 2025 federal legislative agenda amid uncertainty over federal policies