Are you a homeless person? Do you work with homeless persons? Are you part of a workgroup to end homelessness? EHAC is asking for your help to identify barriers and solutions.

OHCS has announced a Request for Proposal under the federally funded Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). There is available approximately $19.6 million in grant funds to the state. The purpose is to return foreclosed, abandoned or blighted properties to the market – for sale or rental- and to stabilize neighborhoods.

The state is required to set aside at least 25 percent of all NSP grants to benefit people at or below 50 percent of area median income. Homeless populations often fall into this income category.

OHCS has applied and will make available this fall to its rural community partners approximately $7.8 million in federal stimulus funds. The three year funding program will provide short and mid-term rental assistance to keep people in their house and to rapidly put people back into housing. The program will require and provide for needed services to avoid homelessness. HPRP is funded through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will be distributed through the network of community action agencies.

Eligible uses of HPRP funds include:
- Financial assistance to pay for short-term rental assistance, medium-term rental assistance, security deposits, utility deposits, utility payments, moving cost assistance, and motel or hotel vouchers for temporary stays;
- Housing relocation and stabilization services including case management, outreach, housing search and placement, legal services, mediation, and credit repair, and
- Data collection and evaluation includes costs associated with operating HUD-approved homeless management information systems for purposes of collecting unduplicated counts of homeless persons and analyzing patterns of use of HPRP funds.

The HPRP funding does not provide for mortgage assistance, foreclosure prevention or shelter operations.

Oregon entitlement and metropolitan communities will receive their own allocation of funds. The state allocations are as follows:

Oregon State Program $ 7,873,436
Clackamas County $ 871,505
Eugene $ 567,404
Portland $ 4,172,282
Salem $ 597,562
Washington County $ 824,990

Until now, Oregon has not had an official stand on the issue of homelessness. The 2009 Legislature passed SB 200, which creates Oregon's policy on homelessness.

SB 200 reorients the state's response to homelessness, with a focus on permanent housing instead of temporary solutions, on better collaboration between all levels of agencies to serve homeless persons, on housing stability to show accountability, and a focus on the needs of the person. It requires the Department of Human Services and OHCS to coordinate housing and services.

Although the bill does not provide funding it provides the guiding principles for allocating current and future resources.

"I support SB 200 because [it] will bring to Oregon the potential to deliver a statewide model of coordinated housing and services similar to that which served me, and thousands of others, so effectively." John Atten. Public Hearing Testimony, March 2009

In the 2007 Legislation, OHCS was authorized to use $16 million in lottery-backed bonds to launch its Housing PLUS initiative to serve Oregonians experiencing long-term homelessness. The Legislature required that with this and other housing resources OHCS create 150 units of permanent supportive housing during the biennium. Housing PLUS was designed to provide capital for development and for a limited time, additional resources to pay for rental assistance and supportive service activities.

OHCS began disbursing the funds in the spring funding cycle of 2008 and later in the fall funding cycle. In between the two funding cycles, OHCS issued a special Request For Applications targeting small rural communities.

By June 30 2009, OHCS will have awarded or committed all available Housing PLUS funds. Currently, OHCS has awarded funds to 19 projects totaling 199 units. Sixty two units in eight projects, have been funded outside of major metropolitan areas.

Many Oregon communities have been organizing a local one-day event to connect homeless persons in need of basic services with local service providers. Services may range from a haircut to securing rental assistance or completing paperwork for benefits.

Project Homeless Connect events are often organized and sponsored by local private and/or faith-based non profit organizations with support from the local and state government offices and small businesses.

If you would like to get involved in a local PHC or if you would like to help make one happen in your community, take advantage of the resources listed below.