Portland homeless shelter at risk as Multnomah County weighs budget cuts

Market Street Shelter in Southeast Portland says it could close by June 30 if Multnomah County’s homeless services department does not secure funding to bridge a shelter operations deficit.

In February, the Homeless Services Department (formerly Joint Office of Homeless Services) raised the alarm about a budget deficit of $140 million it says resulted from Metro’s tax on high-income earners falling short of expectations.

County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson had penned a letter to both Metro and Gov. Tina Kotek asking them to make up for the deficit. Metro has already allocated additional funding to shelter programs in the city of Portland. It remains unclear whether Kotek will also provide the county with additional funds through her recommended legislative budget.

A spokesperson for Multnomah County confirmed that the Homeless Services Department (HSD) had determined that two shelters, including Market Street, could be on the chopping block as a result of the deficit because their lease would be up and the building had notified them it would not renew the lease.

The county first released the information in response to a record request from the Oregonian, noting that alongside Market Street it would also consider Wy’East Shelter as a potential option for cuts as a result of the budget deficit.

"The Homeless Service Department included specific information about two shelter sites in their overall recommendations around sheltering capacity in this year’s letter because these shelter sites may not be viable long term," the county said in a written response included in the record request. "Expanding shelter options remains a top priority for Multnomah County. Even if we must close these two shelter sites, HSD’s currently budgeted investments will produce a net gain of available units across the County and City shelter system."

READ MORE: https://katu.com/news/local/portland-shelter-at-risk-multnomah-county-budget-cuts-homeless-money-services-millions-kotek-deficit-funding-pederson
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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: April 4, 2025, 3:00 am.

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