The new 2013-14 proposed budget from the City of
Portland is out.
The Portland Housing Bureau, which oversees a myriad
of housing and homeless services, is facing a $1 million dollar cut from the
city budget and an additional $1.2 million dollar cut from the federal
government, totaling $2.3 million dollars.
Mayor
Charlie Hales directed all city bureaus to develop a budget proposal equal to
90% of their current General Fund budget. Bureaus also had the opportunity to
submit “Add Packages” (see below) equal to the 10% General Fund reduction.
The
cuts are brutal for people experiencing poverty. The following programs and
services have the potential to either be cut or eliminated:
- Eliminate winter
shelter at the Clark Center, a 90-bed shelter for men that serves 700 people annually - Reduce youth and
others shelter support by $100,000 - Eliminate winter
recuperative care, a program that works with people experiencing homelessness
who are coming out of the hospital -
Reduce
short-term rent assistance by nearly $100,000 -
Reduce mental
health outreach, family rent assistance, alcohol and drug treatment by $200,000 -
Eliminate
programs at 211info and the Oregon Community Warehouse, including Housing
Connections ($215,000) -
Reduce support
to the Bud Clark Commons drop-in by $27,000 -
Homebuyer
education homeownership fairs by nearly $50,000 -
Reduce
homeownership retention by $80,000 -
Reduce the Rose
City Resource Guide by $3,000 (The city currently gives Street Roots $30,000 to
produce the guide.)
The bureau is requesting that the following programs by
included in the “Add Back Package.” This package includes $1.1 million dollars
in funding that is at risk:
-
Restore funding to keep the 90 bed men’s Clark Center
Shelter open -
Programs that provide winter Recuperation Care, winter
shelter and the youth shelter. -
Programs that support permanent housing outreach, placement,
services and stabilization for vulnerable people. Programs include mental
health outreach and housing placement, street outreach, housing placement and
retention, Alcohol and Drug Free Communities, family rent assistance, Rose City
Resource Guide, Rent Well, youth transitional housing, and Community Engagement
Program. -
Programs that build the pipeline of potential homebuyers
from communities of color and help homeowners retain their home.
The following programs face permanent cuts at the housing
bureau:
- Prevention: Reduce Short
Term Rent Assistance, $97,890 - Supportive Housing: Bud Clark Commons Permanent
Supportive Housing, $27,000 - Supportive Housing: Reduce funding for Bridgeview by 5%, $23,860
- Homeownership Education
and Foreclosure Prevention: Eliminate
Homebuyer Retention Program funding for citywide program expansion, $46,609 - Homeownership Education
and Foreclosure Prevention: Eliminate
Homebuyer Fairs, $8,000 - Emergency Services: Reduce shelters by 5%, $108,490
- Access: Eliminate funding for Oregon Community
Warehouse, $23,500 - Access: Eliminate funding for Shared Housing
program, $89,000 - Access: Reduce Rent Well Administration funding by
50%, $33,273 - Access: Eliminate support of Housing Connections
website, $30,000
Look for more in-depth coverage from Street Roots.