PORTLAND, Ore. — Asylum seeker families who were earlier this month facing homelessness in Portland will be able to stay in their temporary housing until June, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson's office announced Thursday.
KGW broke the story earlier this month of 80 asylum seekers — consisting of 20 different families and at least 30 children under the age of 12 — who were at risk of losing being put out on the street. A local nonprofit, IMIrJ, had been paying for them to stay in a hotel, but abruptly ran out of money.
Multiple asylum seekers who spoke with KGW said they'd been told there was housing and work to be found in Portland while they waited for the federal government to process their asylum claims.
Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez's office contributed enough funding to keep the group in their rooms for another week. When Multnomah County was initially contacted for support, they offered the asylum seekers 24 four-person tents.
The county's initial offer sparked outrage from several elected officials, with County Commissioner Sharon Meieran calling it "appalling." Soon after that, Vega Pederson's office announced that they would pay to keep the asylum seekers in their rooms through the end of April.
On Thursday, Vega Pederson's office said that the county would be able to keep the asylum seekers for another month, through May 31, without any additional cost. It will come from the same $55,000 that the county chair directed from her office's budget earlier in the month, they said.
The owners of the hotel where these families are staying agreed to bill the rooms at a reduced rate, the chair's office said, which will make the county's original contribution stretch twice as far.
"Our hearts go out to these families, and we must do our best to welcome and support them. It will continue to be a priority for me to develop the solutions we need in the short and longer term," said Chair Vega Pederson in a statement. "It remains true that Multnomah County cannot solve this alone. We need all of our partners at the table, and I call on the state to do their part — including urgency in convening key stakeholders."
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According to Jessica Vega Pederson's office, they will be meeting with Gov. Tina Kotek's office on Friday to work toward a state effort that would help these and other families seeking asylum. Groups involved will be asking the governor's office and the Oregon Legislature to contribute more resources.
"IMIrJ, Centro Cultural and the Asylum Seeker Solidarity Collective are appreciative of Multnomah County’s investment toward the goal of ensuring that no family sleeps outside in our County," the organizations said in a shared statement. "Housing is complex, and it is important to make this system accessible to anyone, regardless of the structural and personal barriers they may face.
"We look forward to the County’s ongoing partnership, alongside that of city and state government, to welcome newcomers and to create a system in which all families have access to shelter. We know that we are stronger together; true collaboration from all levels of government, mutual aid spaces, nonprofits, philanthropic partners, and community members will only make a healthier, more resilient Oregon."
While a bill in the Oregon Legislature this year would have figured out an ongoing plan to help asylum seekers, it did not pass before the end of the session. Lawmakers did allocate $2 million for a pilot program, and Gov. Kotek's office told KGW that state officials are looking at options to strengthen the state's response.
