Housing and Homelessness Investments Deliver Results Across Oregon

Salem, OR – This week, the Governor’s Office joined state agency and local leaders to share progress on Oregon’s housing and homelessness response across the state and reflected on what is working and the continued need for investment in affordable, accessible paths to stable housing.

“Whether you’re renting, buying a home for the first time, or needing temporary shelter to get back on your feet, we’re fighting to create more options for you,” Governor Tina Kotek said. “Housing has been a priority since day one of my administration, and we’re seeing tangible progress.”

Presentations before the Oregon Legislature’s House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness focused on:

• Shelter: responding to the crisis of unsheltered homelessness by creating new beds and providing operations funding to maintain shelter bed capacity.
• Rehousing: ending people's experience of homelessness by providing rehousing services, including street outreach, move-in costs, rent assistance, and the Housing Choice Landlord Guarantee program.
• Long-term Rent Assistance: providing long-term rent assistance for rehoused families in need of longer-term support.
• Homelessness and Eviction Prevention: preventing new experiences of homelessness by providing short-term rent support to avoid eviction.

“Every shelter bed maintained, every household that avoids homelessness, and every person who moves into a stable home represents someone with a safer place to sleep and a stronger foundation for what comes next,” said Liz Weber, Director of Housing Stabilization at Oregon Housing and Community Services. “We’ve made meaningful progress, and continued investment is critical to sustaining that progress and reaching more Oregonians.”

Providing More Shelter More Quickly for More Oregonians

In Jackson County, local leaders have reduced unsheltered homelessness by 24 percent and chronic homelessness by 58 percent, decreased the average wait time to get into housing by nearly 3 months, and moved more than 1,000 families and individuals into permanent housing – twice as many as years before due to state funding and partnership.

“Sustained investment and support from leaders like Governor Kotek keeping housing front and center is what keeps these numbers moving in the right direction,” said Melanie Doshier, Chief Program Officer for ACCESS, Jackson County.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck effort focusing on outcomes and investing in proven solutions,” said Representative Pam Marsh (D-Southern Jackson County), Chair of the Committee. “Housing is part of every family’s monthly budget and remains a top priority across the state. I'm grateful for the Governor’s partnership to sustain our shelter system and build more housing for more Oregonians.”

In Central Oregon, where the Governor visited this summer, homelessness across three counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs decreased by 19.1 percent as a result of investing state dollars into a coordinated regional system of care. The region has seen decreases in veterans, unsheltered youth, unaccompanied children, youth in general, and unsheltered seniors experiencing homelessness.

Between January 2023 and September 2025, the Governor’s emergency actions have resulted in 6,286 new and maintained shelter beds, 5,539 people rehoused from unsheltered homelessness, and prevention assistance for 25,942 households. The statewide response led by Governor Kotek has also strengthened data collection and reporting, providing a clearer and more accurate picture of homelessness across Oregon and helping guide ongoing investments and policy decisions.

Building Out Capacity, Pairing with Local Services

Coos County is streamlining their processes for getting and keeping people housed, building on statewide efforts to build more housing and shelters. Because of their efforts, alongside the state’s work, the area has reduced unsheltered homelessness by 40.9 percent, unsheltered veterans by 85.5 percent, and overall homelessness by 22.8 percent. One local provider, Alternative Youth Services, has doubled the number of individuals and households they serve. Now, Coos County is working to strengthen and expand permanent housing inventory even more.

“For years, communities like ours were asked whether these approaches work. Our experience over this biennium gives us an answer: when resources reached the ground at sufficient scale, the outcomes changed,” said Nichole Rutherford, City Manager, City of Coos Bay. “We aren't finished, but we aren't starting over, either. The Governor’s advocacy and leadership on this issue and the state’s investment have given us something real to build from.”

Continuing to Make It Easier to Produce Affordable Housing

When Governor Kotek took office, housing production was falling nationwide and declining even faster in Oregon. In less than four years, despite high interest rates and unpredictable federal actions that have negatively impacted state resources, the Governor’s targeted actions to increase housing supply have successfully reversed that trend.

“Building affordable housing is critical to an Oregon where everyone has stable housing,” said Maria Elena Guerra (MEG), Farmworker Housing Development Corporation (FHDC). “Making sure that we invest on the front end in creative financing tools for developers—especially in land acquisition and predevelopment—will help us reach this shared goal faster. Thank you to Governor Kotek for being a champion on this issue and doing the work of speaking to both public and private sector partners to move the needle.”

Oregon is now in its second year of increased housing starts, even as the United States continues to see declining production. Recent estimates for the first half of 2026 show Oregon up 11.3 percent year-over-year, compared to a 1.3 percent decline nationally. State data show that Governor Kotek’s efforts have resulted in more than 50,000 future homes in the production pipeline.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.