Supportive housing services is guided by regional goals. By embracing regionalism through shared learning and collaboration to support systems coordination and integration, Metro, Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties are able to align local implementation plans, strengthen local homelessness care systems and better address homelessness across the region.
Regional long-term rent assistance
The regional long-term rent assistance program (RLRA) is a key strategy for achieving the goals of the supportive housing services (SHS) program, since it is a critical tool to ensure housing stability in supportive housing placements for households who experience long-term homelessness and others who experience or are at risk of homelessness.
The program builds on the existing long-term rent assistance infrastructure and expertise within Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties and is implemented independently by each county following consistent regional guidelines and policies. These guidelines and policies aim to, among other goals, streamline screening criteria, simplify application processes and reduce eligibility barriers to increase housing access and support long-term housing stability for people who have been disproportionately impacted by homeless and restricted from housing opportunities.
RLRA works as both a tenant-based subsidy that increases housing choice for households to find housing on the open market, and a project-based subsidy that helps households who need on-site supportive services in the building. Additionally, the program service partners cover payments of move-in costs and provide supportive services as needed to ensure housing stability. A Regional Landlord Guarantee also covers potential damages to increase participation and mitigate risks for participating landlords.
Tri County Planning Body
This group helps create goals, strategies and metrics, and guides a regional investment fund to address homelessness across the region. The group does not replace community-centered local implementation plans, but helps the program be as effective as possible by coordinating across the region.
The group will:
- Develop a regional plan with strategies, metrics and goals as identified in the SHS workplan and the counties’ implementation plans.
- Review proposals from the counties with strategies and financial investments that advance regional goals and outcomes.
- Provide guidance and recommendations to the counties on the implementation of strategies to achieve regional goals and outcomes.
- Approve and monitor financial investments by county partners from the regional investment fund.
- Provide guidance on using SHS values at a regional level.
- Monitor and provide guidance on the implementation of the regional plan.
The group includes elected officials and people with the following perspectives: people who have been homeless and/or very low-income; Black, Indigenous, People of Color and other marginalized communities; culturally responsive and culturally specific service providers; elected officials, or their representatives, from each county and Metro; representatives from business, faith and philanthropic areas; people who do housing and homelessness services, who routinely engage with unsheltered people; people working in health and behavioral health, especially culturally specific healthcare; and representation ensuring geographic diversity.