Multnomah County Pauses New Housing Vouchers After Losing State Funding

Multnomah County's Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 on October 30 to continue housing support for 1,051 homeless residents while pausing new placements due to a $4. 5 million funding gap. The county's Homeless Services Department will receive only $26 million from the state for the 2025-26 fiscal year, a significant reduction from earlier expectations. This funding cut will prevent the county from issuing new housing vouchers to approximately 700 individuals actively seeking housing. Mayor Keith Wilson's office expressed disappointment, stating the cuts jeopardize the progress made in transitioning people from shelters to permanent housing.

Wilson emphasized the importance of emergency shelters as a short-term solution while urging collaboration with the county on case management and voucher distribution. The county's rapid rehousing programs, which have seen 82% of participants remain housed after two years, have been paused. Additionally, the county is not on track to meet its goal of adding 1,000 new shelter beds by the end of 2025. The ongoing tension between the city and county over homelessness funding priorities complicates efforts to effectively address the crisis.