Governor Tina Kotek praises Central Oregon’s decline in unsheltered homelessness, highlights shelter and rehousing gains

Governor Tina Kotek visited Shepherd's House in Central Oregon on May 31 to commend local providers and elected officials for recent reductions in unsheltered homelessness and to describe the state's ongoing role in sustaining shelter and rehousing efforts.

"The last, point in time count found a 19.1% decrease in unsheltered homelessness in Central Oregon," Kotek said, calling the regional results "progress" and crediting local coordination and state partnership. She told the gathering the state has seen a 6.4% decline in unsheltered homelessness overall, a roughly 20.9% drop in chronically unsheltered individuals, a 40% decline in unsheltered families with children and a 4% decrease in K–12 students identified as experiencing homelessness. "We have created 6,286 shelter beds across the state," she said, and added that the state has rehoused about 5,500 Oregonians and provided prevention assistance to more than 26,000 people.

Kotek said the state has made the shelter system permanent through recent lawmaking and that ongoing funding and accountability are needed to sustain outcomes. "My commitment is to continue to have the state be a reliable funder for those beds," she said, and urged continued tracking of outcomes so dollars show progress.

Local service providers and tribal leaders framed the region's approach as a coordinated, braided-funding model. "Over these past 3 years, Governor Kotek's leadership on housing and homelessness has brought the largest investment in the housing continuum in Central Oregon's history," Eliza Wilson, chair of the local continuum of care and executive director of Rooted Homes, said. Wilson told the event the state has added 50,000 units to the housing production pipeline since the governor took office and cited 2025 permitting gains in Oregon.

Caroline Cruz, chief operations officer for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, described expansion of tribal shelter services and on-site supports, and gave service metrics for Jan. 1–May 31, 2026: 6,375 meals served, 2,469 bathroom/shower visits, 1,793 overnight stays and 110 laundry uses. Cruz said the tribe is adding tiny-hut units, an indoor dining room and a drop-in center pending final inspection, and called for continued braided funding and workforce pathways to move clients toward stability.

Local elected leaders also spoke. "Here in Redmond, the city has invested over $2,500,000 to improve facilities, provide shelter," said Redmond Mayor Ed. Bend Mayor Melanie Beevler said the city's programs produced more than 330 positive transitions out of homelessness in the last year, including about 250 into permanent housing, served more than 2,200 unique individuals, and prevented over 440 people from becoming homeless; Bend now has "over 500 beds," she said.

In a short question-and-answer period, KTBZ reporter Claire Elmer asked whether the state is assisting shelters and food banks facing higher costs of living. Kotek pointed to a declared food emergency last year and said courts had restored SNAP benefits after a federal reduction; she acknowledged food pantries remain strained. She also said the Public Utilities Commission is reviewing ways to protect households from utility-rate increases and to ensure large users pay their fair share. "More housing will help us reduce the price of that housing," she said, urging continued housing production.

When asked by Central Oregon Daily News about what explains the region's success, Kotek again praised local coordination, case management and the availability of safe parking and 24/7 shelters that allow people to stabilize before rehousing. She said targeted state emergency funding enabled local leaders to implement those models.

Asked about 2027 legislative priorities, Kotek said she is mobilizing emergency resources to house unsheltered seniors before the end of the biennium and will seek the legislature's help in her next budget to maintain eviction-prevention and rehousing programs.

No formal motions or votes took place at the event; it was a site visit and public briefing. The governor thanked attendees and the event closed after the question period.