PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland City Council on Wednesday approved a three-year contract for a new homelessness response system centered around the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS), the agency tasked with spending homelessness dollars from both the city and Multnomah County.
Commissioner Rene Gonzalez joined Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Carmen Rubio in voting yes. The vote wasn't a sure thing. Several times recently, some members of the city council, including Gonzalez, had threatened to pull funding from JOHS.
On June 26, Gonzalez announced in a video on social media that Multnomah County had decided to halt tent and tarp purchases. He'd been a vocal critic of the way the county runs the JOHS, in particular the policy of tent and tarp distribution, so the move may have swayed him to vote in favor of renewing the contract Wednesday.
During last week's meeting, the city council was getting ready for a second reading and presumptive vote on whether to continue funding the JOHS, but after it approved several amendments to the agreement, the council held off on a final vote, pushing it to this week.
The renewal means the city will send the county about $30 million per year for JOHS funding for the next three years. During last week's meeting, the council added amendments, 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.
Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson released a joint statement following the vote to renew the contract.
"This intergovernmental agreement is the result of over a year’s work between the City and County that has included every voice on both of our boards," the statement read. "It creates an inclusive, accountable table for ongoing policy decisions around our Homelessness Response System.
"Our homeless crisis demands an all-hands-on-deck approach and that’s what we’ve given to it. We’ve focused on cross-sector leadership and data-driven, evidence-based goals every step of the way to create solutions that address the complexity of our homelessness crisis. Ultimately, this work is about creating an accountable system that delivers results for our community — a pathway to safety and housing for people experiencing homelessness and a thriving community for everyone."
With the council vote out of the way, the next step is for the county to schedule a vote on the amended agreement later this month by the Board of County Commissioners.