Lane County commissioners on July 28 reviewed the operation, outcomes and neighborhood impacts of the River Avenue Navigation Center and agreed to defer action on renewing the provider contract until the board’s July 22 meeting.

The navigation center, operated since September 2022 through a partnership between the City of Eugene and Lane County, provides a 75-bed, referral-based congregate shelter with intensive case management for adults prioritized through the county’s Coordinated Entry system, County Health and Human Services staff said. "The NAV Center was opened in September of 20 22," said James Yule, who presented the item. He and Kate Budd, Human Services division manager, outlined the center’s program model, client profile and neighborhood outreach efforts.

Supporters and staff stressed that the center is a low‑barrier, referral-based model that emphasizes case management and direct pathways to permanent housing, while neighbors and some commissioners urged additional outreach and enforcement to address visible unsheltered homelessness in the River Road area. "Low barrier is about screening people in the services rather than screening people out," Yule said, describing intake, rules and a "good neighbor" agreement that applies in the immediate neighborhood.

Why it matters: County staff and the selected operator, Equitable Social Solutions (ESS), reported outcomes that they said exceed system averages and argued the center is an important part of the regional shelter inventory. Commissioners and neighborhood representatives voiced concerns about increased visibility of unsheltered homelessness and crime in parts of the neighborhood; staff and ESS described stepped‑up security, a monthly community action committee and efforts to connect discharged participants to other shelter beds and services.

Key facts and outcomes presented by staff
- Capacity and access: 75 congregate shelter beds; admission by referral through Lane County Coordinated Entry.
- Use and population: Over the last fiscal year the center served 170 individuals; 25% (about 43 people) were age 55 or older; 21% had a developmental disability; staff reported 92% had at least one physical or mental‑health disability and 79% had two or more disabilities.
- Housing exits and retention: Of 99 individuals exited in the prior fiscal year, 41% were exited to permanent housing (system average reported at 25%); 44% were exited to a more stable living situation; 76.5% of those exited remained housed at six months and 70.5% at 12 months; fewer than 6% returned to homelessness within a year, as measured by returns to the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
- Utilization and length of stay: ESS operated at a 95.8% bed utilization rate; staff estimated an average length of stay at about seven months, with significant variation by individual needs.
- Program rules and enforcement: Staff said drug or alcohol possession and other unsafe behavior are not allowed on site and can lead to discharge; 39 individuals were exited to homelessness for rule violations over the past year, five of those for violations in the neighborhood; discharged participants are not eligible for referral back to the center for at least 90 days.
- Facility covenant and funding constraints: A three‑year covenant tied to prior COVID rehabilitation funds restricts the building’s use as emergency shelter through Sept. 12, 2025; current state emergency shelter funding through Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) also affects available options and is tied to the center’s location and operations.

Discussion and options presented
County staff offered three options: (A) approve the operations contract with ESS and keep the center at its current location; (B) approve funding for operations but direct staff to explore relocating the center; or (C) decline to sign a new contract and close the center as soon as possible. Staff recommended option A, citing outcomes, preservation of OHCS funding and continuity of services. Presenters also noted that moving the center would likely be costly (staff cited more than $5 million was spent previously to rehabilitate the facility) and could create a temporary loss of bed capacity during relocation.

Neighborhood engagement and public safety
Staff and several commissioners emphasized ongoing engagement with the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhood associations, ESS’s community action committee, and Eugene Police Department (EPD). Lieutenant Sullivan of EPD provided police call‑for‑service data to staff showing a rise in certain crime and quality‑of‑life calls in 2024; staff and EPD said displacement of large encampments in 2024 likely contributed to increased visible unsheltered homelessness in the corridor. ESS reported increased security measures at the site, including perimeter walking and a kiosk, and monthly meetings with neighbors and police.

Board action
By consensus and head nods, the board agreed to move consideration of the provider contract (Board Order 25070810) to the July 22, 2025 meeting to allow further outreach and follow‑up while staff continue data analysis and neighborhood engagement. No final contract renewal or termination was approved at the July 28 meeting.

What remains open: commissioners asked staff to provide additional data (including a breakdown of daytime presence at the center and more granular call‑for‑service analysis), to continue regular meetings with neighborhood groups and EPD, and to explore whether additional street‑outreach resources can be identified. Staff noted that any relocation would be constrained by the existing covenant and by availability of funding and suitable facilities.