County staff back Metro RPOC draft KPIs for Supportive Housing Services; commissioners press on data costs and representation

Marnie Kyle, an assistant county administrator, and Jess Larson, assistant director in Washington County's Department of Housing Services, updated the board on the Metro Regional Policy Oversight Committee (RPOC) process to reset KPIs, key environmental indicators (KEIs) and regional goals for the Supportive Housing Services (SHS) measure.

Larson said the RPOC has met five times and that Metro staff recommended a package of KPIs that includes familiar implementation metrics — eviction preventions, placements, retention rates — and newer measures such as shelter‑utilization rates and classifications of "positive exits" from shelters. "We are adding in, shelter utilization rates, how people exit from our shelter and transitional housing to, to housing, permanent housing placements," Larson said, explaining the committee's emphasis on reducing time spent in shelter and on tracking system efficiency.

Board members discussed public testimony and formal letters submitted to RPOC, including feedback from the Here Together coalition and the Metropolitan Mayors Consortium. Presenters acknowledged concerns raised about data collection costs and the cost of building new reporting systems to disaggregate unsheltered and sheltered homelessness trends.

Commissioners also discussed representation at upcoming RPOC and Metro Council votes, scheduling conflicts and whether county representatives should swap primary roles for attendance. Staff said Metro is refining the proposed KPIs and plans to bring a final recommended package to the committee and then to Metro Council in September for a decision.

Next steps: county staff offered to provide one‑on‑one briefings for commissioners on the proposed metrics and to return with additional detail as Metro finalizes its recommended package for the September vote.