FILE - Mayor Elect Keith Wilson inside the overnight shelter room in Portland Central Church of the Nazarene in southeast Portland, Ore., Nov. 19, 2024.
Anna Lueck for OPB
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has a goal of building 1,500 new shelter beds by December to accommodate the county’s unsheltered population. The plan will cost at least $28 million.
On Thursday, the Metro Council voted to cover more than half of that cost.
The $15 million comes from leftover money in Metro’s current budget to run its supportive housing tax. That’s the voter-approved tax on high-income earners in the Metro region to address homelessness.
“By directing these funds to where they are most needed, we aim to make a tangible impact on our community’s wellbeing,” said Metro Council President Lynn Peterson in a press release. “We owe it to Mayor Wilson to support his efforts to address this crisis.”
Multnomah County has separately agreed to give the city $10 million to operate shelters. Wilson has said he believes the state Legislature will also help cover the remaining costs of his shelter plan.
The money comes as local leaders grapple with new data showing that the number of people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County has grown 26% to 14,400 in the past year.
Wilson will release the city’s proposed budget on Monday.
