Editorial: A clarifying moment to shift course on homelessness

Multnomah County’s failure, again, to spend millions of dollars budgeted for helping homeless people get housed is a demoralizing reminder that money – even a massive amount of it – won’t magically solve our crisis. Without leadership, a sound strategy and commitment to outcomes, we will be stuck in the same housing emergency that local officials declared eight years ago.

But at least, residents now aren’t the only ones fuming about the mismatch between taxpayers’ generosity and county competence. Leaders at Multnomah County and Metro regional government are showing some frustration as well and echoing calls from residents that something needs to change. It’s nice to see them on this side of reality, finally.

The news is sobering: For the third quarter in a row, the county has spent only half of what it intended to spend on rent assistance, outreach, eviction prevention and other programs funded by a homeless services tax collected by Metro. Since the start of the fiscal year, the county has spent $40 million – less than half its plan to spend $83 million by this point.

This is not because of a lack of need. Thousands of people living on the streets and thousands more rent-burdened Portlanders confirm the opposite. Rather, this reflects the lack of a comprehensive strategy, poor execution and an inability to quickly address obstacles. And while all three Portland-area counties are spending less than they are receiving from the Metro tax, Washington County is on track with the amount it planned to spend this year.

Frustration and exasperation, however, can be clarifying, and this moment could potentially mark a turning point in the effort to reduce homelessness. New people in key roles at the county as well as intervention by Metro both offer hope for a turnaround. But it will take the high-level attention, unflinching accountability and urgency that neither the county nor Metro are known for.

Portland-area residents should track a few key areas to glean in which direction we are headed:

Urgency and follow-through from the county chair: After receiving the third-quarter report on homeless spending, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson sent a letter listing three commitments to local leaders. Among them: She would direct her staff to work with city and Metro officials to identify homeless services needs that they can quickly fund; convene nonprofit contractors to identify and solve barriers; and engage a consultant to offer guidance for improving the system. She is making progress on each, even pledging support for the city’s long-spurned proposal for organized encampments. But the need to ease bureaucratic barriers in the contracting process ­– while still ensuring accountability – requires a more urgent response. Contractors have long complained about infuriatingly long waits for payment from the county. Staffing issues and turnover demand quicker action, such as providing cash for one-time bonuses, even if that’s not a permanent answer.

Muscle from Metro: One of the questions that hovered over the 2020 ballot measure that authorized Metro to collect a new tri-county homeless services tax was whether the agency had the stomach to hold counties accountable. Metro’s decision to require a corrective plan for Multnomah County is a promising sign. The agency, which aims to develop the plan with the county by the end of this month, wants it to meet the expenditure goals by the fiscal year’s end or soon afterward. While Metro’s aggressive tack is encouraging, it must continue to push the county to do better – and verify that it’s actually doing so.

Strategic direction from the Joint Office of Homeless Services: Since 2016, the city of Portland and Multnomah County have contributed to this agency, housed at the county, to execute an allegedly collaborative response to homelessness. Instead, it largely focused on former County Chair Deborah Kafoury’s priorities, produced no comprehensive strategy for tackling homelessness and has lacked commanding leadership for years. The appointment last month of Dan Field, a former Kaiser Permanente executive, as director gives this office a credible chance for success. Not only does Field have a reputation for forging and carrying out innovative solutions to complex problems, but both city and county leaders appear vested in his hiring and success. The office should capitalize on that support and spearhead development of a truly collaborative strategy.

Collaboration in word and deed: The dysfunctional relationship between Kafoury and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler cost this community time, money and possibly lives. Vega Pederson came into office pledging a better dynamic. The county commission, Portland City Council and Metro officials must show this moment to be the start of a stronger collaboration among local leaders who take ownership of homeless initiatives as partners, not as politicians looking to claim credit or direct blame.

Because at this moment, Portland-area residents blame all of them. And unless they can get their act together and effectively use the hundreds of millions of dollars that taxpayers are providing, there’s no reason to make a distinction.

-The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board