PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Market Street Shelter in Southeast Portland says it could close by June 30 if Multnomah County’s homeless services department does not secure funding to bridge a shelter operations deficit.
In February, the Homeless Services Department (formerly Joint Office of Homeless Services) raised the alarm about a budget deficit of $140 million it says resulted from Metro’s tax on high-income earners falling short of expectations.
County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson had penned a letter to both Metro and Gov. Tina Kotek asking them to make up for the deficit. Metro has already allocated additional funding to shelter programs in the city of Portland. It remains unclear whether Kotek will also provide the county with additional funds through her recommended legislative budget…