Policy! Policy! Policy! Demystifying Oregon Governments Working Towards Homelessness

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Image by: (Graham, 1998)

  Homelessness is a prevalent issue in Oregon. Several initiatives have attempted to address this issue with continuing success. In Oregon, what are these government infrastructures and how do they play a vital role in the landscape of Portland’s homelessness issue?


The four main governments infrastructures that oversee Portland are the state, regional, county, and the city. My main focus is on the regional government, Metro. Understanding that every level of government dedicates efforts to alleviate homelessness can tear down biases that we have on the efforts of government bodies. Dedicating funding to lower the homelessness issue in Portland doesn’t translate to successful results only successful initiatives. 


Outstandingly, Metro is the only elected regional government of any metropolitan city in the nation. (Abbott, 2022) Metro encompasses 23 cities and 3 counties: Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington. Metro’s original work lies in the Metropolitan Planning Commission (1957-1966), which undertook data inventory and studies of economic and land-use conditions. ( Abbott et al., 2006) Essentially, the growth of Metro allowed it to begin taking on large more complex projects such as homelessness. We understand that homelessness is a complex issue and the causes are interconnected in society.(Mago et al., 2013)Metro has a large political influence so it began setting its sights on tackling homelessness. 


In May 2020, voters in Portland approved Measure 26-210 to fund services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. (Metro, n.d.) The funding is collected through the City of Portland’s Revenue Division, then Metro works with its counties and cities to distribute the funding. Those programs and services help people find and keep safe and stable homes. 

I find this important because it showcases that there are many government bodies working towards decreasing homelessness in Portland. The results might not show, and our efforts might fail but it is a collective effort that the majority of Portland citizens are striving to do.

The state, county, Metro, and the city all have committees that strive to involve the community in decisions regarding homelessness, and having a seat at the table is the first step to making decisions, so I encourage you all to check these resources out. 


References 

Abbott, C. (2022, June 15). Metro Regional Government. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/metro/#.ZESRYezMKz0

Abbott, C., Metro Home Rule Charter Committee, & Abbott, P. M.(2006)Historical Development of the Metropolitan Service District, Metro Collection, 22.

https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/oscdl_metro/22


Graham, D., photographer. (1998) Senate Governmental Affairs. , 1998. [19 May] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2019642218/

Mago, V. K., Morden, H. K., Fritz, C., Wu, T., Namazi, S., Geranmayeh, P., Chattopadhyay, R., & Dabbaghian, V. (2013). Analyzing the impact of social factors on homelessness: a fuzzy cognitive map approach. BMC medical informatics and decision making, 13, 94. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6947-13-94

Metro (n.d.) Supportive housing services: Addressing homelessness in greater Portland. Public Projects. https://www.oregonmetro.gov/public-projects/supportive-housing-services/#Annual-work-plans


- Daniel Carrillo- dcarri2@pdx.edu

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