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Clatsop County staff report expanded rehousing dollars and a September start for deflection program
Summary
County staff told the Human Services Advisory Council that Clatsop County will receive an additional $1 million in Oregon Rehousing Initiative funds to extend rehousing assistance through June 2027, and that a deflection program coordinated with law enforcement is slated to start in September.
Monica, speaking for county staff, told the Human Services Advisory Council that Clatsop County will receive an additional approximately $1,000,000 in Oregon Rehousing Initiative (ORI) funds to extend rehousing assistance through June 2027.
"So this additional million will take the rehousing dollars through June 2027," Monica said, summarizing a contract the county approved to expand rehousing support. She also described the county's earlier allocations under Emergency Order 2302 — roughly $4,000,000 for shelter operations and about $1,600,000 for rehousing — and said the county has already used a substantial portion of that rehousing funding. Through May 6, 2024, Monica reported, the county had rehoused more than 50 households and had submitted more than $500,000 in rental-assistance reimbursements through May.
Monica said the county’s deflection program — a coordinated alternative to arrest for people with substance-related offenses that routes participants to treatment and services — is slated to begin in September. She said the county has completed process mapping and hired a primary deflection clinician and a recovery ally to support warm handoffs with law enforcement and the courts.
Monica also said OHSU will host a state ECHO learning collaborative and that state representatives will visit Clatsop County on July 22 to learn about the deflection program and related services; the county has been invited to serve as an example for other counties. She updated the council on a separate housing project, Esperanza Village, saying vendor scheduling and prior delays mean the county is tentatively targeting August for units to be installed but that dates have been repeatedly pushed.
On shelter operations, Monica said the county advanced approximately $62,000 to Lifeboat for a chairlift installation and that Lifeboat has spent about $20,000 so far to buy the chair while it completes engineering and permitting with the city.
On the legal context for homelessness enforcement, Monica said Oregon has codified the relevant ruling and that, "at this point in time, it doesn't really change anything," as local law enforcement continues to view the state law as controlling.
County staff said providers can access rapid-rehousing dollars through Clatsop Community Action (CCA), which has hired a housing navigator to assist placements and coordinate with case managers at shelters and partner agencies.
Next steps: State representatives will visit in July; staff will continue implementing the deflection program with an anticipated September start, and the additional ORI funds are expected to extend rehousing support through mid-2027.
