County and providers warn of deep cuts to Supportive Housing Services as Hillsborough and partners outline response

Washington County officials presented the Supportive Housing Services (SHS) annual report and described both program successes and looming fiscal threats at a Nov. 19 Hillsborough City Council work session.

"We spent 100% of the SHS budget," said Nicole Singh of the county’s Homeless Services Division, noting the program supported more than 10,000 people in the last fiscal year, prevented thousands of evictions and helped more than 1,200 people into supportive housing. County staff said SHS funding helped expand outreach from roughly a dozen street‑outreach staff to over 35 workers, and increased year‑round shelter units to more than 430 across the county (about 420 SHS‑funded).

Emily Roots, county housing communications coordinator, provided program metrics: permanent supportive housing placements, rapid rehousing outcomes and a large increase in eviction‑prevention services (from a goal of 500 to more than 1,500 households helped last year). She cautioned, however, that some temporary programs were funded with one‑time carryover and that ongoing revenue weakness meant the county would need to "right‑size" service levels.

County staff and provider partners warned of two looming pressures: lower than expected actual tax collections relative to revenue forecasts, and proposed Metro governance and funding changes that would reallocate and reduce funds available to counties. Marnie Kyle, an assistant county administrator, said one draft proposal would reallocate roughly $250 million to counties split across three jurisdictions while setting aside a separate flex fund for affordable housing and city allocations; the practical effect could reduce Washington County SHS operating funds by roughly 40% (from about $115 million to approximately $82–88 million in a cited scenario).

Nicole Singh told councilors the county is considering program cuts to temporary motel vouchers (about 65 units) and would be phasing out carryover‑funded eviction prevention if revenues remain lower than forecast. "What's at risk is not permanent housing," Singh said, adding that the county seeks to protect capital investments already committed to shelters but may need to cut operating programs.

Hillsborough Police Sergeant Aaron McCarver outlined public‑safety impacts and new tracking the department uses for camps and behavioral‑health calls. McCarver said the department’s Community Impact and bicycle teams have proactively responded to encampments and overdoses concentrated on the west/downtown corridor and have used House Bill 4002’s deflection option since Sept. 1 to refer eligible people to treatment instead of prosecution. County staff described the early county deflection data: of 83 standalone citations pulled at one point, 45 were eligible for deflection, 26 had enrolled and 8 were pending review; many other cases were not eligible because of other pending charges, supervision status, prior convictions or failure to appear.

Provider Kim Marshall of Project Homeless Connect described access‑center services (showers, laundry, case management), daily outreach and the program’s reliance on staff with lived experience. She urged the council and public to protect SHS and other revenues that support shelter operations, outreach and treatment access.

Councilors and county officials agreed on the need for continued coordination; county staff urged residents and city leaders to follow Metro and county deliberations and speak in favor of preserving operating funds that underpin shelter and services.