Clackamas County officials announced Thursday that homelessness is down 65% in the area from 2019 to 2023.
According to Clackamas County’s quarterly report on the Supportive Housing Services (SHS) Measure outcomes, the county has rehoused 314 people in six months.
“We're doing amazing work and partnership with the county; with the support of housing services funding, served a lot of people over the last year. And in fact just over the last couple of months, we've placed 30 households in the Rapid Rehousing program through the support of housing services,” said Melissa Erlbaum, executive director of Clackamas Women’s Services.
This exceeds the county's annual fiscal year goal of rehousing 120 households by June 30, 2024.
The report also says they placed 429 people and 223 homeless households in permanent supportive housing. Their six-month goal was 203 households.
Officials also said in the report that it prevented 1,369 people, and 591 households from being evicted. Their six-month goal was 313 households.
County leaders give credit to the resources and staff that made these accomplishments possible.
“These outcomes show that we are doing things right,” says Clackamas County Board of Commissioners Chair Tootie Smith. “We have incredible staff, and our supportive housing services program has blossomed. Ending homelessness in our county is quickly becoming a reality,” says Smith.
The rehousing program helps people who are at imminent risk of becoming homeless, such as families that have received eviction notices or that are escaping domestic violence, officials say.
“Safe housing is a critical need for people fleeing domestic and sexual violence and human trafficking. Supportive Housing Services (SHS) funding has significantly increased our ability to help people find housing that supports them in leaving abusive relationships to have the safety that they deserve,” Erlbaum says. “Before the SHS Measure passing, it was difficult to assist people with housing because resources were so limited, and housing is the number one request for services that we receive,” Erlbaum stated.
Permanent supportive housing, another of the report's highlights, is a widely successful method of combining a permanent apartment with all of the social services that someone needs to remain housed and thrive, according to county officials.
People must have experienced homelessness for a long period and have a disabling health or mental health condition to qualify for such housing.
“We work hard to reduce and prevent homelessness early on before it even happens, with rental assistance, and we make sure that we have the resources and the assets up and running to give people housing when they need it,” said Ben West, Clackamas County commissioner.
West says it’s about building relationships.
“We find out who these people are. We put them in a system called CHA. We assess their direct needs, and we continue to follow up with those individuals over and over again and to make sure that they're having the gaps filled within their care,” said West.
And he says those needs differ from person to person.
“We will allocate different funds based on prevention behavioral health. There could be something with addiction services, and so we try to find the appropriate tailored care needs of the individual that's vulnerable.” he said.
It's true that homelessness has dropped, but it's still not over yet.
“We still have more to learn, and we have more to do, but I think Clackamas County is modeling what good local government looks like in Oregon,” said West.