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Clatsop County explains new shelter funding formula, shares provider allocations
Summary
County staff briefed commissioners on a revised shelter funding formula that caps administrative fees, sets a $2,500 base allocation per bed and uses multipliers for 24/7 operations and service connections; staff disclosed provider-level allocations and warned the dollars won’t fully cover operations.
Assistant county staff provided a detailed update on regional shelter program funding and how the county redistributed state-directed emergency funds.
Monica (Assistant County Manager) told the board the state initially directed $2,500,000 over two years and allocated $1.25 million to Clatsop Community Action and $1.25 million to Lifeboat Services. For the current fiscal year, she said the county received approximately $1.8 million and capped administrative fees at 7% for both the county and providers to preserve more operating dollars for shelters. "So we capped our amount as well as the amount that the providers are allowed to have for admin cost at 7%," she said.
The county shifted to a single pooled fund with a base allocation of $2,500 per bed and additional multipliers for providers that operate 24 hours or connect clients to mental‑health and substance‑use services. Monica summarized per‑provider distributions: Clatsop Community Action (97 beds) was allocated $747,981 (about $7,700 per bed); Lifeboat (22 beds) $112,322 (about $5,100 per bed); Helping Hands (95 beds) $732,005.59; and the Harbor (16 beds) $92,111. After the county’s administration portion, staff said there was roughly $1.7 million available for distribution.
Commissioners raised concerns about equity, sustainability and how low‑barrier versus recovery‑oriented beds were treated. Monica said low‑barrier beds make up 80% of the current inventory (183 of 228 beds) and that recovery‑based beds number 45; she said the funding formula did not differentiate payment by barrier type. A commissioner noted vacancy reporting showed nights in May with beds available across providers, and staff explained they track nightly availability via a provider survey used to dispatch law enforcement and crisis teams to available sites.
County staff told the board they will continue meetings with providers, cities and law enforcement to manage bed capacity and adjust allocations if necessary. The work aims to preserve beds long term amid uncertain state funding in the 2027–29 biennium.
The county posted an FAQ sheet and staff said they will update the homelessness webpage with further details and answers to follow‑up questions.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to keep working on equitable formulas and system sustainability; no formal action was taken at the meeting beyond the update and commitments to continue coordination.
