Wasco County Commissioners Declare State of Emergency to Tackle Houselessness Crisis
LEFT TO RIGHT: Wasco County Commissioners Phil Brady, Scott Hege, and Steve Kramer.
By Cole Goodwin
The Wasco County Commissioners have declared a state of emergency to address the growing issue of homelessness in the region. The decision was made during a meeting on February 15th, 2023, after the presentation of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative's five-year strategic plan to address houselessness in the area. The declaration has been sent to The Office of Emergency Management for further processing.
The move is aimed at securing funding from the state government to support local organizations in their efforts to tackle the homelessness crisis. The declaration meets the criteria outlined in Executive Order 2302, which requires a local state of emergency to be declared in order to access additional resources for addressing homelessness.
Kenny LaPoint.
Kenny LaPoint, Executive Director of Mid-Columbia Community Action Council said, "This is a necessary first step to opening up additional resources to address homelessness in this region.”
In order to receive funds, Wasco County must meet the following requirements: the unsheltered population in 2022 must be greater than 30 households, the community must declare a local state of emergency related to homelessness, and at least one of the following must be true: unsheltered homelessness increased by 50% or more between 2017-2022 or the rate of unsheltered homelessness in 2022 was 80% or greater of the entire homeless population.
Wasco County meets the first two criteria and saw a 76% increase in unsheltered homelessness between 2019 and 2022, from 78 to 138 individuals. Since the county now meets the criteria they can qualify for emergency funding.
The Oregon Housing and Community Services and the Office of Emergency Management are working together with local emergency managers to establish the multiagency coordinating groups to implement the emergency response. For counties not included in the executive order, a request can be submitted through OEM and approved by the Governor.
The declaration of a state of emergency shows a commitment from county government to work together with organizations to find solutions to the urgent issue of houselessness. The funding that will be made available as a result of this declaration will help support programs and initiatives aimed at reducing houselessness in the region, bringing hope to those in need.
For the February 15th, 2023 agenda and board packet click here.
To submit public comment to the Wasco County Commissioners click here.
