PORTLAND, Ore. — Multnomah County's latest Homelessness Response Action Plan sets the ambitious aim of cutting homelessness in half by the end of next year. Local leaders sought input on the plan on Monday from people who work with the homeless community on a daily basis, and much of the feedback was cautiously optimistic.
"It's certainly an ambitious plan, but I think it's good to be ambitious," said Scott Kerman, executive director of Blanchet House, adding that he has more faith in the new plan than previous efforts because of its "collaborative, holistic sphere."
The plan includes getting 2,700 people off the streets by the end of 2025, adding hundreds more behavioral health beds and a sobering center, ending discharges from jail to the streets and opening 1,000 new shelter beds in two years.
Those beds are a key piece of support that workers at Rose Haven have been waiting for.
"Were seeing probably 150 people a day and probably half those people, we're trying to figure out where they're going to sleep on a regular basis," said Executive Director Katie O'Brien.
Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson stressed the collaborative nature of the plan on Monday, saying that it includes a broad swath of community partners in addition to local government.
"If this plan is executed well, it will unequivocally improve the conditions for our city and our region," said Andy Mendenhall, CEO and president of Central City Concern.
The organization is one of Portland's largest nonprofits, and Mendenhall said his downtown office gives him an up-close view of the situation on the streets. He said he had to respond to an opioid overdose right outside his window.
"Love the plan, the question will be is the shelter allocation sufficient to meet the needs for the people who are unsheltered in the community?" he said. "That remains to be determined."
O'Brien echoed the note of cautious optimism, but said that she was really excited to see the county enact a plan that tackles the problem on such a large scale.
"It always lies in the details, right?" she said. "And so I'm hoping that this broad plan will now drill down into something where we're really looking at the details."
County officials want to hear from the public next, starting with a town hall meeting scheduled for Thursday. The final version of the plan is set to be released next month.