Committee recommends $570,809 for Salem Veterans Services; staff cite outreach, housing bottlenecks

The Salem City Committee on Administration and Finance on June 5 recommended approval of a $570,809 Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget for the Department of Veterans Services, including $160,009 for personnel and $410,800 for expenditures. The motion to recommend the budget was made by Councilor Stott and seconded by Councilor Harvey; the chair recorded three yes votes and the motion carried.

The department’s director, Kim Emerling, told the committee the office remains small and stable but has seen an increase in veterans filing VA compensation claims after recent federal and state changes. "The biggest change this year... we are certainly seeing an increase in those," Emerling said, adding that the office manages chapter 115 (state) benefits for roughly 40 to 45 clients.

Emerling described the office’s front-line work: processing VA compensation claims, helping veterans access VA health care and housing programs, and coordinating with local partners. "If they're at Lightbridge, yes, we try and get them out of there as soon as we can and get them into housing," she said. She estimated the office helps about "10 to 15 a year" to obtain housing and said federal VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) vouchers and other programs remain lengthy: "It's a 3 or 4, could be 5 month wait even with them sitting there in an emergency situation."

The committee discussed a recent pay adjustment for the department’s full-time assistant, Elizabeth, who was moved to a higher pay grade to reach parity with state averages. Emerling said the salary change is the department’s primary budget increase and that other lines are largely level-funded. She also described transitional housing options used by the office, including a North Shore Counseling facility with 16 standalone rooms that Emerling said can serve as temporary housing while veterans await permanent placement.

Council members praised the department’s work and asked about the scale of need if a planned South Salem development reserved a portion of units for veterans. Emerling said 10% is "a good rule of thumb" and that, for a project of roughly 450–475 units, that would translate to about 40–45 units for veterans. She cautioned, however, that market-rate lease-up housing does not necessarily serve people who are currently homeless because those units typically are not held as emergency beds for voucher or street-homeless placements.

Action and next steps: Councilor Stott moved to recommend approval of the veterans department personnel line of $160,009 and expenditures of $410,800 for a total of $570,809; Councilor Harvey seconded. The chair recorded three members in favor and the recommendation carries. The budget will proceed through the city’s remaining budget hearings in mid-June.

The meeting record contains additional operational details and outreach plans that Emerling said the department will continue to pursue; the committee did not direct additional actions beyond the budget recommendation.