Governor Kotek Announces Statewide Shelter Funding Awards

Portland, OR - Governor Tina Kotek today announced more than $102 million in shelter funding awards to 22 regional coordinators across Oregon through the Statewide Shelter Program, advancing the state's strategy to build a more effective homelessness response system.

"This program gives communities flexibility to successfully address their unique local needs," Governor Kotek said. "The scale and complexity of the problem can feel insurmountable, but we are making progress. We won't let up until every Oregonian has a safe place to call home."

Oregon's state shelter program now supports more than 5,000 shelter beds to help people stay off the streets. The state's efforts have helped to rehouse 5,539 people - more than one in four households that were experiencing homelessness when she took office - and are on track to rehouse another 1,500 households by the end of her first term.

The Statewide Shelter Program was informed by the work of the Sustainable Shelter Work Group, convened in July 2024 by Governor Kotek and Representative Pam Marsh (D - Ashland). The work group brought together a broad coalition of state, city, and county agency representatives; legislators; direct service organizations; and shelter operators.

"Our statewide shelter system serves the population identified by each community, whether that is families, the chronically homeless, veterans, domestic violence survivors, youth, or others," Rep. Marsh said. "I am enormously grateful to the local organizations, cities and counties, nonprofits, churches, and community volunteers who sustain these services and take care of our neighbors."

The funding supports emergency shelter operations, outreach, navigation, rehousing, and local stabilization resources. The program reflects the statewide scale of Oregon's housing and homelessness challenges and the need for locally driven solutions.

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) oversees the program and sent the award letters to the 22 organizations noted at this link which also describes location and totals. These organizations will serve as regional coordinators across the state.

Recipients of the funding lauded the awards as being crucial to their region's success in addressing the state's most urgent needs.

"This vital funding responds to the unique needs of rural communities like Tillamook County to lead locally driven shelter solutions by strengthening regional coordination, building capacity, and expanding equitable access on the path to housing stability," said Elizabeth Asahi Sato, executive director of Tillamook County Community Action Resource Enterprises, Inc. (CARE).

"The City of Coos Bay supports Governor Tina Kotek and Oregon Housing and Community Services in advancing locally driven homelessness solutions," said Joe Benetti, mayor of Coos Bay. "Sustained regional partnerships and shelter investments are critical to helping Oregonians move from homelessness into stable housing."

The $102,459,326 in total funding was awarded through a competitive process to regional coordinators that represent communities across urban, suburban, rural, and coastal counties.

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