LOC News
Contact Your Legislators: Support Homeless Shelter and Prevention
As the end of the legislative session nears, homeless shelter and prevention funds are more at risk than ever.
House Bill 3644 implements the sustainable shelter framework developed by a work group last fall. The workgroup included stakeholders from across the state and through a robust process addressed how to create a more complete statewide services system to address homelessness.
The framework outlined in HB 3644 provides structure for state investments in sheltering and associated services, finally creating a comprehensive statewide funding system designed to guide this and future investments. The bill also includes $217 million in needed funding to continue this work at the same level as in the last biennium. This is the critical investment to address Oregon’s homelessness crisis, and without it, homeless shelters will close.
In addition, HB 5011 is one of several investments in the Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) budget, and includes $173.2 million in prevention funding to immediately stop families from falling into homelessness. Typically, households need help just once to regain stability. But as housing costs rise, more families are being pushed into crisis. Continued investment in prevention is needed to ensure that more families do not need sheltering services.
The LOC and others have made a strong case for these bills and the associated funding, but we need help from member cities. Please contact your state legislators today and convey your support for these investments. We need to advocate for the framework contained in the bill and sufficient funding. When speaking with your legislator, share your city's perspective on why these matters. Our cities cannot do this alone; we need state funding to ensure that shelter beds remain open to keep Oregonians off the streets. Here are the key points to convey to legislators:
- Without the state as a partner, local communities will be unable to sustain this work. We are in this together; local governments can't do this alone.
- State dollars are leveraged by enormous local contributions, both financial and in-kind.
- A transparent and cohesive homelessness funding framework will provide a fair and comprehensive structure for whatever level of funding the state allocates.
Contact: Alexandra Ring, Lobbyist – aring@orcities.org
Last Updated 6/6/25