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Committee hears evidence for expanding wait‑list emergency housing to link unhoused people to residential substance‑use treatment
Summary
House Bill 3,146 would fund expansion of a wait‑list emergency housing model pioneered in the Rogue Valley that provides temporary, low‑barrier housing and intensive case management to people waiting for residential treatment or withdrawal management. Sponsors asked for $10 million to stand up 4–8 projects and presented early outcome data.
Representative Pam Marsh and Senator Lisa Reynolds described a model developed in Jackson County to provide short‑term, low‑barrier housing for people who have been assessed as needing residential substance‑use treatment (or withdrawal management) but face long waits for available beds.
Lede/nut: Marsh said the problem is most acute for people who are motivated for treatment but are unhoused: without a safe place to wait they are difficult to locate when a bed opens. House Bill 3,146 requests $10,000,000 to develop 4–8 wait‑list emergency housing projects covering capital and operating costs, and prioritizes pregnant people for placements.
How it works: Witnesses from OnTrack Rogue Valley and the OASIS Center described two local pilots: a six‑bed prenatal‑priority site and a 10‑bed “Baby Street” site for adults. OnTrack reported moving 173 people from unhoused status into treatment beds across the pilot projects; OnTrack said average length of stay in emergency lodging is about 3.5 weeks and that 90% of guests moved from emergency lodging into treatment in a recent reporting window.
Why it matters: Supporters said the model stabilizes people during the window of motivation, reduces loss to follow‑up, improves residential utilization and can reduce downstream costs (hospitalizations, criminal justice, foster care). Senator Reynolds framed the proposal as a complement to maternal and child health work, emphasizing pregnant people as a priority to avoid substance‑exposed births.
Questions and operations: Committee members asked how sites coordinate with residential providers statewide and whether emergency lodging can serve as a bridge to other levels of care (day treatment, outpatient). Providers said they actively coordinate, can prioritize statewide bed offers and that the model’s single‑occupancy rooms and daily case management help keep people engaged and reachable.
Ending: Marsh and witnesses urged the committee to fund the pilot expansion so other regions can replicate the model; the committee closed the public hearing and moved on to other bills.
