Portland City Council votes to continue funding the Joint Office of Homeless Services

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Multnomah County is one step closer to sheltering the homeless after Portland City Council voted to approve a partnership between the city and the county on Wednesday.

The choice to continue funding the Joint Office of Homeless Services came as a surprise for some after representatives for the city and county have blamed each other for not doing enough.

“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,” Mayor Ted Wheeler said in a joint statement with Multnomah County chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “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.”

The 3-2 vote – supported by Wheeler with Commissioners Rene Gonzalez and Carmen Rubio and opposed by Commissioners Dan Ryan and Mingus Mapps – passed a new three-year deal with the county to work on sharing services and dollars.

“I voted no on behalf of people suffering outside and on behalf of people directly impacted by the humanitarian crisis on our streets,” Commissioner Ryan said. “My no vote reinforces that Portlanders do not want more of the same, and they don’t want the small tweaks to this agreement that we passed today.”

The new agreement calls for cutting the homeless population in half within two years, giving more oversight over how the money’s spent, and letting the city opt out of the agreement if there is not enough progress by October.

“What was passed today forces the Joint Office to return to City Council in three months and show their work,” Ryan said. “To the Joint Office—the clock is ticking. It is beyond time to deliver for Portland. Let’s see what the County can accomplish.”

However, the decision follows months of arguing back and forth and finger-pointing between the city and the county as hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are spent and the homeless population keeps growing.

“With this new agreement, we are redefining our relationship with Multnomah County – to one that is a more accountable and transparent way forward as we navigate our way through, and to the end of, our homelessness crisis,” Commissioner Rubio said.

Multnomah County officials say they intend to take a final vote on the agreement sometime later in July.

Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.

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