Oversight committee: Metro supportive-housing fund expanded services but gaps remain in permanent housing placements

Metro officials and the Supportive Housing Services (SHS) Oversight Committee presented a third annual regional report to the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners on March 20, saying the program scaled quickly in fiscal year 2023–24 but still faces gaps in permanent supportive housing supply and regional data alignment.

Yesenia Delgado, manager for Metro’s Supportive Housing Services, and the oversight committee’s co-chairs, Mike Savara and Dr. Mandrill Taylor, summarized regional spending, provider networks and oversight recommendations. The committee reported that the three counties together received about $309.8 million in SHS tax collections for implementation, and that Clackamas County’s share was about $66.1 million (21.3 percent). The committee said program spending roughly doubled from year two to year three and that counties contracted with 103 unique providers, including 19 culturally specific organizations.

The report highlighted successes and outstanding challenges. Counties exceeded regional goals for homelessness prevention and created more emergency shelter capacity than initially expected. But the committee said the region underperformed on creating supportive-housing units and permanent supportive-housing placements. Dr. Taylor told the board that “for every 10 households exiting homelessness into permanent housing, there are 15 new households entering it” in year three, reflecting rising demand for long-term housing solutions.

Financial oversight and administration drew specific attention. Committee members said Clackamas County and the region maintained relatively low administrative costs; the oversight committee noted Clackamas’ administrative spending was about 2.3 percent of revenue, under Metro’s informal 5 percent benchmark. The committee recommended continuing to limit administrative overhead so funds flow to services.

A recurring recommendation was improved regional data sharing and evaluation. Commissioner Schroeder asked whether the data-sharing timelines in the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) had been met. Metro and oversight staff said a data-sharing agreement has been developed and circulated, and that signatures are pending; Metro staff characterized the agreement as close to final. Commissioners also raised concerns about federal funding volatility and whether a regional approach could exacerbate funding shortfalls if federal support tightens.

The oversight committee’s other recommendations included clearer roles and decision-making processes between Metro and counties, more consistent performance monitoring and evaluation, and strengthened partnerships with contracted providers (including timely invoicing and payment practices). Committee leaders urged counties and Metro to align definitions, monitoring tools and decision-making to improve transparency and public trust.

The presentation concluded with commissioners thanking the oversight members and discussing next steps for data alignment and regional strategy. No formal action or vote was taken at the March 20 meeting on the committee’s recommendations.

Speakers and presenters included Yesenia Delgado (Supportive Housing Services manager, Metro), Mike Savara (co-chair, SHS Oversight Committee), Dr. Mandrill Taylor (co-chair, SHS Oversight Committee), Mary Rumbaugh (Director, Health, Housing & Human Services, Clackamas County) and County Commissioners.