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Supportive Housing Services Tax

Revision as of 18:41, 29 February 2020 by imported>Tmccormick

[abbreviation: SHSBM]


A measure on the May 19, 2020 ballot for Oregon Metro, the regional government body of the Portland,_Oregon area, to raise approximately $250M/year for "supportive homeless services" aimed at addressing and preventing homelessness.

On May 25, 2020, the Metro Council unanimously approved  ORDINANCE NO. 20-1442, to refer a Supportive Housing Services Ballot Measure to voters on the May 19 ballot. 

Exhibit A to Ordinance No. 20-1442: Supportive Housing Services Overview:

"SECTION 4. Services and Priorities
Supportive Housing Services Revenue will fund Supportive Housing Services, including: street outreach services; transition and placement services; in-reach, basic survival support, and mental health services; interventions and addiction services (crisis and recovery); physical health services; interventions for people with physical impairments and disabilities; short and long-term rent assistance; eviction prevention; financial literacy, employment, job training and retention education; peer support services; workplace supports; benefits, navigation and attainment (veteran benefits, SSI, SSDI, other benefits); landlord tenant education and legal services; fair housing advocacy; shelter services; bridge/transitional housing placement; discharge interventions; permanent supportive housing services; affordable housing and rental assistance and other supportive services. Supportive Housing Services Revenue and Supportive Housing Services will first address the unmet needs of people who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing long-term or frequent episodes of homelessness. Supportive Housing Services Revenue and Supportive Housing Services will be prioritized in a manner that provides equitable access to people of color and other historically marginalized communities."

 

SECTION 6. Local Implementation Plans. [...]
5. Local implementation plans must include the following: [...] 
c. A review of current system investments or capacity serving priority populations, an analysis of the nature and extent of gaps in services to meet the needs of the priority population, broken down by service type, household types, and demographic groups. d. A description of the planned investments that includes: (1) the types of services, and how they remedy the service gap analysis; (2) the scale of the investments proposed; (3) the outcomes anticipated; and (4) the service delivery models that will be used in each area of service." [...]

i. A commitment that funding will be allocated as follows: (a) 75 percent for people who have extremely low incomes and one or more disabling conditions, who are experiencing long-term or frequent episodes of literal homelessness or are at imminent risk of experiencing homelessness; and (b) 25 percent for people who are experiencing homelessness or face/have substantial risk of homelessness.

SECTION 16. Accountability of Funds; Audits 1. Each county or local government receiving funds must make an annual report to the Metro Council and the oversight committee on how funds from the taxes have been spent and how those expenditures have affected established homelessness metrics.

 

Metro Oregon, Planning and Development Department. "Memo: Potential Regional Supportive Housing Services Program Implementation." February 18th, 2020.  https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6782218/Metro-Supportive-Housing-Memo.pdf. 

Despite these federal and local investments in supportive housing and additional state and local investments to end homelessness, the need far exceeds our local capacity to provide sufficient supportive housing for people experiencing prolonged homelessness. The Point In Time Counts conducted in three metro area counties found as many as 5711 people experiencing homelessness, and 2362 people experiencing ‘chronic homelessness’ as defined by a disabling condition and repeated episodes of homelessness or a year or longer of continued homelessness.

 

References

 

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