Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson is floating a 22% cut to the county’s homeless services programs in the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1.
“Due to volatile budget predictions and declining revenue streams, our overall spending on homeless services will be reduced,” Vega Pederson wrote in a letter accompanying her proposed budget released Thursday.
The Homeless Services Department’s budget for the current year is $420 million. The potential 22% reduction could close programs that help recruit and retain workers at homeless services programs, offer housing support for people escaping domestic violence, and financially support landlords who rent to people who’ve recently been homeless…