Oregon is facing a housing and homelessness crisis that demands bold action. Governor Kotek is bringing urgency to the challenge and championing concrete solutions, including proposals to build more housing, rehouse our neighbors experiencing homelessness, prevent homelessness before it happens, and expand access to homeownership.
On her first full day in office, Governor Tina Kotek signed three executive orders aimed at tackling the state’s housing and homelessness crisis: declaring a homelessness state of emergency; setting an ambitious state target to increase home construction; and directing state agencies to prioritize reducing and preventing homelessness in all areas of the state.
In response to the homelessness state of emergency, Governor Kotek worked with legislative leaders to develop and pass an urgent $155 million package to rehouse 1,650 Oregonians, prevent homelessness for 8,750 households, and expand shelter capacity by 700 beds by the end of 2023.
After setting an ambitious housing production goal of 36,000 homes per year, Governor Kotek also established a council of leaders charged with developing an action plan to meet the new construction targets. The Housing Production Advisory Council (HPAC) members include a range of housing leaders, local government representatives, bipartisan legislators, a Tribal member, and relevant state agency directors.
Following up on the third executive order, the Kotek administration worked with state agencies and boards to develop an initial report on current practices, and will continue working to ensure that our state government does more to reduce homelessness statewide.