Governor Kotek Highlights Progress Reducing Homelessness in Central Oregon

Redmond, OR - Today, Governor Tina Kotek visited Shepherd's House in Redmond to thank service providers and join Central Oregon leaders to acknowledge significant progress in the region to reduce homelessness. The Point in Time Count, a federally required annual snapshot of homelessness, found a 19.1% decrease in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness across Central Oregon compared to 2025.

"This progress is possible because dedicated Oregonians refuse to accept that homelessness is unsolvable and are working very hard to help people achieve housing stability," Governor Kotek said. "Homelessness is a challenge as complex as the people experiencing it, and there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. The progress we're seeing in Central Oregon is a direct result of a community-wide commitment to tackling this challenge."

The Governor's visit to Central Oregon comes after new data showing 35 Oregon counties where data collection and reporting has not substantially changed from 2024 to 2025 demonstrated significant progress on her priority of reducing unsheltered homelessness:

• Unsheltered homelessness declined 6.4%
• Unsheltered homeless veterans declined 7%
• Chronically homeless individuals declined 7.2%
• Unsheltered homeless individuals declined 8.1%
• Unsheltered chronically homeless people in families declined 18.2%
• Unsheltered chronically homeless individuals declined 20.9%

Governor Kotek toured Shepherd's House, one of Central Oregon's key service providers, and met with staff and providers who are on the front lines of the region's homelessness response. She also spent time speaking directly with individuals who have experienced homelessness.

Eliza Wilson, Executive Director at Rooted Homes, Redmond Mayor Ed Fitch, Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler, Caroline Cruz, Chief Operations Office for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and Senator Anthony Broadman (D - Deschutes County) joined Governor Kotek at Sheperd's House and spoke to the impact of coordinated local and state investment in addressing homelessness in Central Oregon.

"Over the past three years, Governor Kotek's leadership on housing and homelessness has brought the largest investment to the housing continuum in Central Oregon's history," Eliza Wilson, Executive Director of Rooted Homes and Chair of the Homeless Leadership Coalition, said. "These critical resources arrived at a time when we needed them most and allowed us to leverage additional local, state, and federal funding to maximize our collective impact."

"While this is working, by no means are we done. But we are mobilized and we are ready because we know building tons of houses, having clear rules, and centralizing our scant resources where they can be best used efficiently is how we'll end homelessness," Senator Anthony Broadman (D - Deschutes County) said. "Our region's success is not due to one person, but we would not be here but for the leadership of Governor Kotek and the Central Oregonians doing the work every day."

"We are really proud of the progress we've made in central Oregon and it's amazing to have Governor Kotek come here personally to help us celebrate," Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler said. "We are reducing homelessness in Bend through all of the hard work we've done with our service providers, our cities and with the support of the state."

Between January 2023 and September 2025, the Governor's emergency actions have resulted in 6,286 new and maintained shelter beds, 5,539 people rehoused from unsheltered homelessness, and prevention assistance for 25,942 households. The statewide response led by Governor Kotek has also strengthened data collection and reporting, providing a clearer and more accurate picture of homelessness across Oregon and helping guide ongoing investments and policy decisions.

Photos of the event can be found here.