Governor Tina Kotek and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson have launched a new initiative to address the issue of homelessness in Portland. The program, which will receive a combined $2.5 million in funding, helps people who are homeless. It focuses on placing individuals in jobs that involve cleaning up trash in the city. The investment was announced during the annual meeting of the Portland Business Alliance.
Tina Kotek, Jessica Vega Pederson commit $2.5 million toward trash clean up in Portland https://t.co/iNn9Roe22N
β Laura Gunderson (@LGunderson) June 15, 2023
Governor Kotek will provide $1 million from the Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund for the program, while Chair Vega Pedersen has proposed allocating $1.5 million from the Pedersen Homeless Services Fund.
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The county already contributes to cleanup programs and job opportunities for the homeless through Metro’s Supportive Housing Fund. Still, this new proposal aims to direct even more Supportive Housing funds to the cleanup program.
Letβs clean up the damn trash!
Today I announced a $1 million investment to expand trash cleanup efforts across the City of Portland.
Letβs restore faith in Portland through action and partnership.
β Governor Tina Kotek (@GovTinaKotek) June 15, 2023
The City-County Joint Office of Homeless Services has faced challenges deploying the money effectively, with only $40 million being spent in the first three quarters of the 2023 fiscal year against an $83.4 million budget. The Clean Start program, operated by Central City Concern since 1996, provides trash and needle removal, graffiti cleanup, and other services throughout the Portland metro area.
The program also works to help people experiencing homelessness overcome barriers to employment. The additional $2.5 million investment will enable the Clean Start program to employ an additional 25 people in the coming fiscal year, with current plans to hire 100 individuals.
Chair Vega Pederson has also proposed that the county allocate $4 million to support Mayor Ted Wheeler’s plans to build large-scale outdoor shelters in Portland. This funding will help develop weather-proof tiny houses instead of relying only on tents.
In addition, the county hired a team led by James Schroeder to evaluate the county’s performance in deploying new resources to meet supportive housing demand. The team will give suggestions for improvement based on their assessment.
Chair Jessica Vega Pederson has announced that Multnomah County will be giving the city more than $4 million to run the city’s planned outdoor encampments. The city has been asking JVP for this kind of $$$ months.
β Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee) June 15, 2023
The joint effort by Governor Kotek and Chair Vega Pederson aims to address challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness in Portland, focusing on proactive solutions, partnership-building, and the city’s overall wellness and wellness Have a positive impact.
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