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Today's @MultCo board meeting was a monumental day for the County's ongoing work around housing and homelessness. The Board of Commissioners approved a number of actions this morning that will provide shelter shelter and housing services both during the pandemic and beyond.
First, we voted to extend the County emergency declaration to July 2, 2021, which allows us to maintain the expanded set of tools that we've used — and will continue to use — to respond quickly to the emerging needs brought on by the pandemic. https://multco.us/multnomah-county/news/multnomah-county-approves-6-month-extension-state-emergency-eviction
Extending the state of emergency also extends the moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent in Multnomah County to July 2 and keeps the 6-month grace period. However, I'm hopeful that the Oregon Legislature will extend the statewide moratorium when they convene on Monday.
Next, the Board allocated CARES Act funds to the Joint Office to buy a shelter site in North Portland, a motel that we've been using for a high-risk #COVID19 shelter and winter survival gear, as well as to winterize three outdoor COVID shelters. https://multco.us/multnomah-county/news/board-approved-cares-funding-acquire-two-sites-shelter-and-housing
The purchase of the two shelter sites doesn't just help us to meet the immediate challenges brought on by the pandemic; the acquisitions also fall in line with the County's and the Joint Office's long-term strategy for expanding housing options and our emergency shelter system.
In May, voters passed a landmark supportive housing services measure to fund our response to chronic and short-term homelessness. The Local Implementation Plan was crafted to direct how the County should use those funds. Today, the board approved the plan. https://multco.us/multnomah-county/news/board-commissioners-unanimously-approves-groundbreaking-plan-tackling-chronic
The plan prioritizes investments in rent assistance, housing supports and behavioral health services, as well as different modes of shelter and street outreach, all with a foundational focus on equity. Multnomah County will begin to say the funds from the measure next July.
And finally, the Board approved the transfer of County-owned property in Troutdale to @homeforwardnews for the purposes of having it developed into 100 units of affordable housing, funded by Metro's 2018 construction bond. https://multco.us/multnomah-county/news/multnomah-county-transfers-troutdale-land-home-forward-100-units-affordable
