PORTLAND, Ore. — Multnomah County chair Jessica Vega Pederson will direct the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) to pause purchasing tents and tarps for distribution, according to Portland City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez.
The Wednesday morning announcement came as the Portland City Council was getting ready for a second reading and presumptive vote on whether to continue funding the JOHS for another three years — but after approving several amendments to the agreement, the council held off on a final vote, leaving the question for its next meeting.
The renewal item generated a four-hour debate at last week's council meeting, and it was scheduled to come back for a possible vote late Wednesday morning, but Gonzalez announced the tents and tarps deal in a video tweeted just before 9 a.m.
"Yesterday, chair Vega Pederson sent me a commitment that the county will cease purchasing tents and tarps while we work out a long-term agreement on harm reduction in the region," he said in the video.
"I'm not surprised by the timing at all in that respect, but the good news (is) it helped accelerate the conversation that had been dragging on for a bit ... I'm very appreciative of the step forward from them and really helping us clean up the city," he said later in an interview with KGW.
In an email shared with KGW by Gonzalez's office, Vega Pederson said in a statement that she has asked the JOHS to compile data about tent and tarp purchases and distribution in preparation for future policy discussions, and has directed the office to not make any further purchases in the meantime.
Gonzalez has been one of the most vocal critics of the way the county runs the JOHS, taking particular issue with the policy of tent and tarp distribution, so the timing of his announcement seemed like a possible sign that he would vote in favor of renewal, making a majority yes vote more likely — but he didn't indicate how he planned to vote during Wednesday's meeting.
Staff for Commissioner Mingus Mapps told KGW Wednesday morning that he plans to vote no on renewal, and he said so himself near the end of the council meeting, following another two-hour discussion.
The renewal would mean the city sends the county about $30 million per year for JOHS funding for the next three years. The city council added amendments at last week's meeting, including a requirement for the council to meet in October and review the JOHS's progress, with an option for the city to terminate the contract if it's not satisfied — although there would be a $250,000 penalty if they did so.
The current JOHS contract expires Sunday. The lack of a council vote on Wednesday means the item won't come back up until July 3, according to Mayor Ted Wheeler. A senior policy advisor for Wheeler said budgets had already been passed during the drafting of the agreement, so there will be minimal disruption to programs if the current agreement expires four days before the new one is passed.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.