Washington County officials back request to Metro for $10 million in one-time SHS funds to shore up eviction prevention, cover housing capital gaps

Jess Larson, assistant director of Housing Services for Washington County, told the Board of Commissioners on Aug. 26 that county staff plan to ask the Metro Council for one-time administrative funds to stabilize the county’s homeless-services system.

The county will request up to $10,000,000 in total: up to $4,000,000 to restore eviction-prevention funding for the state-administered Oregon Eviction Diversion and Prevention Fund (ORE DAP) and up to $6,000,000 to fill verified capital budget gaps for supportive-housing projects already under contract.

Larson said Metro has unallocated administrative allowance money and has invited counties to request funds. "We estimate that about $10,000,000 may be available for Washington County through these resources," Larson said, and emphasized the funds must be used for one-time emergency needs. She also told the board that county staff used the county’s draft prioritization framework—previously discussed with the board—to prepare the proposed request.

Why it matters: County staff said the ORE DAP program saw a large funding cut in the recent state budget. Larson said Community Action, the program implementer in Washington County, previously received about $3,800,000 a year from the state and that the legislature’s action reduced that support by roughly 60 percent. "Community Action has had to pause their program. They've taken their hotline off," Larson said, adding that, if funded at prior levels, ORE DAP previously averaged about $5,900 per household and that 91 percent of households served remained stably housed a year later.

Board discussion focused on priorities. Several commissioners expressed a preference for directing more of the one-time funds to eviction prevention because staff presented evidence the program produces high returns for relatively modest per-household assistance. Commissioner Jason Snyder noted the 91 percent outcome and said preventing eviction can be a less costly alternative to rehousing. Other commissioners stressed balancing prevention with capital investments already underway so projects do not stall and lose prior investments.

Larson said the staff recommendation is to ask Metro for funds proportionate to the SHS distribution formula used across counties—Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas—resulting in Washington County’s $10 million recommendation. She asked the board whether the two priorities (eviction prevention and capital gaps for projects under contract) are the right emergency uses of one-time funds and whether the board supports staff making the request to Metro Council.

The board gave unanimous informal support for staff to proceed with the Metro request. Chair Catherine Harrington said she supported the proposal and asked staff to return with specifics as staff completes due diligence on capital project gaps. Vice Chair Therese Zesiger and other commissioners also signaled support; there was no roll-call vote recorded in the work session minutes, and staff will take a formal request to Metro Council pending the board’s final action.

What happens next: Staff will bring a formal request to Metro Council (staff and Metro are coordinating on an early October Metro Council date) and will continue due diligence to verify capital gaps for projects currently under contract. The board will see a full one-time investment package after the county closes its fiscal year and calculates available carryover funds.

For now the county intends to move quickly to restore eviction-prevention contracts if Metro awards one-time funds, while continuing statewide advocacy for permanent state funding.

Ending: Larson said staff will return with more detailed cost-verification for capital projects and with a final packaging of one-time uses for board action; the board’s consensus at the work session was to proceed with seeking Metro funds for the two emergency priorities.