Oct 16, 2026 · 26 min · 13 segments
Multnomah County says it's making significant progress helping people move off the streets and into permanent housing, but homelessness remains one of the region's biggest and most visible challenges…
And we say you're new, but you've been here since May, so you've got a few months under your belt at this point.
Um, y- and you came here from, uh, Los Angeles, working in homelessness there, which is obviously has enormous challenges that you faced in that area.
Now that you've been on the job here for several months, uh, what are you surprised most about with this homelessi- homelessness situation here in Multnomah County?
Um, homelessness is, uh, is an issue that's being faced by virtually every community across the country.
And, uh, a lot of the challenges that, uh, Multnomah County is facing are, are not unique to, to Multnomah.
I think one of the, one of the things that is, uh, unique in, in terms of the response is the Supportive Housing Services tax that Multnomah County and the Tri-County region passed, um, uh, five years ago now, almost six years ago.
Uh, and, and that's, uh, a lot of communities across the country don't have those local resources.
And so I think there's, uh, while it is, as you mentioned, an ongoing challenge, uh, and, uh, one that, um, is, is growing, and for a number of reasons, uh, I think this is, the Supportive Housing Services tax provides a base locally that, uh, is, is, is essential to the work that's been done, uh, and is essential for ongoing success.
Is there something you see that stands out that, like, that's something I really wanna work on that needs to be fixed?
Well, I think [chuckles] there, there are a lot of challenges that are, that are facing us, uh, in, in the upcoming year.
... uh, is, uh, creating massive cuts to, uh, SNAP benefits, so food assistance-
... uh, as well as, um, to folks who are accessing care through, uh, healthcare through Medicaid.
Uh, and those costs and the, the impacts are, are driving folks into homelessness.
And we say you're new, but you've been here since May, so you've got a few months under your belt at this point.
Um, y- and you came here from, uh, Los Angeles, working in homelessness there, which is obviously has enormous challenges that you faced in that area.
Now that you've been on the job here for several months, uh, what are you surprised most about with this homelessi- homelessness situation here in Multnomah County?
Um, homelessness is, uh, is an issue that's being faced by virtually every community across the country.
And, uh, a lot of the challenges that, uh, Multnomah County is facing are, are not unique to, to Multnomah.
I think one of the, one of the things that is, uh, unique in, in terms of the response is the Supportive Housing Services tax that Multnomah County and the Tri-County region passed, um, uh, five years ago now, almost six years ago.
Uh, and, and that's, uh, a lot of communities across the country don't have those local resources.
And so I think there's, uh, while it is, as you mentioned, an ongoing challenge, uh, and, uh, one that, um, is, is growing, and for a number of reasons, uh, I think this is, the Supportive Housing Services tax provides a base locally that, uh, is, is, is essential to the work that's been done, uh, and is essential for ongoing success.
Is there something you see that stands out that, like, that's something I really wanna work on that needs to be fixed?
Well, I think [chuckles] there, there are a lot of challenges that are, that are facing us, uh, in, in the upcoming year.
... uh, is, uh, creating massive cuts to, uh, SNAP benefits, so food assistance-
... uh, as well as, um, to folks who are accessing care through, uh, healthcare through Medicaid.
Uh, and those costs and the, the impacts are, are driving folks into homelessness.
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