As communities in Washington State struggle to deal with an ongoing and growing homeless population the state of Oregon is trying a different approach. Paying homeless people on a monthly basis to get them out of poverty.
THOSE WHO QUALIFY COULD GET UP TO $1,000 A MONTH
A bill in the Oregon legislature would give the homeless and low income residents in Oregon $1,000 per month for 12 months.
The People’s Housing Assistance Fund Demonstration Program would be administered by the Department of Human Services. Those who would get the money would have to meet certain criteria; experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, severely rent burdened, or earning at or below 60% of area median income.
THE BILL IS SPONSORED BY THE YOUNGEST SENATOR IN OREGON
The bill is proposed by Aloha Oregon Senator WInsvey Campos who is the youngest senator to be elected in the state of Oregon.
She says the money would be targeted toward people aged 58 and older, those with disabilities, veterans, homeless youth families with children.
Before the program starts, if the bill is successful a study would be conducted by Portland State University. The study would look at costs, benefits, and policy options for providing the money. The Department of Housing Services would create a plan for distributing the money.
THE CITY OF VANCOUVER WASHINGTON TRIED THE SAME PROGRAM
The funding would come from General Fund of the Department of Human Services.
A similar program happened in Vancouver Washington in 2018 in which people who qualified were given $7,500 for a year. Vancouver officials say it was a success seeing people move into stable housing and even starting a savings account.
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