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Lane County reports drop in homelessness; diversion and wildfire recovery programs credited
Summary
County staff reported a 7.5% decrease in homelessness on the homeless-by-name list, credited diversion programs and new housing projects; staff also detailed Re Oregon wildfire housing support outcomes and asked the board for continued support for flexible funds and scaled services.
James (human services staff) and program staff Victor Flores and Liz Levin gave a quarterly update on Lane County’s homelessness response, including wildfire recovery through Re Oregon, the diversion program and Built for Zero–aligned strategies.
Victor summarized Re Oregon funding and Lane County’s housing support services. He said Re Oregon (administered by Oregon Housing and Community Services) received $422,000,000 in CDBG‑DR funds for the statewide wildfire response and that Lane County is delivering local housing-support services. He described three pathways: immediate housing assistance (IHA), the down-payment assistance (DPA) homeownership pathway (available awards up to $150,000 plus closing costs), and housing counseling. Victor reported that IHA stopped accepting new applications on 06/30/2026, but active applicants remain eligible for up to 24 months.
On program outputs, Victor reported: 13 Lane County households were assisted under IHA as of 06/24/2026 (8 actively receiving assistance, 2 in navigation status, 3 successfully exited to long-term housing); $177,759 has been paid in rent and utilities assistance since 01/01/2025. For DPA, partner Debtnor Northwest facilitated 33 households overall, with 20 referrals from Lane County; two DPA closings in Lane County paid out $300,000 in total and $6,000 toward closing costs for one applicant. Victor said $750,000 was held for preapproved DPA applicants as of 06/26/2026.
James and Liz turned to system performance. James said the Homeless-by-Name list (HBNL) and HMIS data show a 7.5% decrease in people experiencing homelessness compared with 2025; more than 3,000 residents remain unsheltered. He noted persistent overrepresentation of BIPOC people (roughly 25% of people in the homelessness system vs 21.1% county population) and that 63% of people on the list reported at least one disability.
Liz described the diversion program: in FY25–26 the program served 667 households, averaging about $1,793 per household. She reported 88.5% of rehoused households had not reaccessed services at six months and 81% remained housed at 12 months by HMIS follow-up. Diversion served a higher share of BIPOC clients (about 36.8% of diversion participants) and uses a progressive-engagement, client-centered approach that includes partnerships with behavioral-health and sober-living providers.
Panelists raised challenges: the Re Oregon 64-page application format and federal compliance rules create administrative barriers for applicants; duplication-of-benefits reviews (FEMA assistance vs program assistance) complicate eligibility timelines; and state funding restrictions and reduced case-management dollars are reducing the percent of shelter residents who transition to permanent housing (staff said some shelters are expected to transition only ~10% of residents without case managers). A gaps analysis prioritized flexible family funds; the Human Services Commission allocated $150,000 for that need.
Next steps: staff will return with recommendations for the shelter RFP and NAV Center RFP timeline (work group recommendations in October/November; RFP release January 2027), continue diversion expansion and partnerships, and report outcome results for the fiscal year when they are due.
