Lane County hears updates on River Avenue Navigation Center, defers contract decision

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…