Salem, Oregon – Governor Tina Kotek has signed an executive order that extends Oregon’s state of emergency for unsheltered homelessness. Gov. Kotek says this is because there remain dangers to public health, safety, and economic stability.
The extension preserves the emergency structure in place while making the state more aware of the connection between mental illness, addiction, and homelessness—conditions that state leaders say continue to cause problems in many areas.
The homelessness emergency was first declared in January 2023. This was because the number of people living on the streets without a house rose by at least 50% in some areas over the course of five years. The state has reaffirmed the statement many times since then as the situation has changed.
The governor’s office says that the emergency response has had demonstrable effects, such as the creation of thousands of new and maintained shelter beds, the moving of thousands of individuals into housing, and the aid of tens of thousands of households in keeping their houses.
State officials say progress has been real but uneven. Many people who are chronically homeless have major mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and other diseases that make it hard to stay stable over time without coordinated care. Officials believe that these facts often cause people to go to the hospital room, crisis services, and the court system over and over again, which raises costs without solving the problem.
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The emergency declaration still applies to the Portland metro area, Central Oregon, Eugene and Springfield, Jackson County, Salem and adjacent counties, and some rural areas, even though the order has been extended. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management will keep managing the response, while housing and health organizations will work on longer-term plans.
The order sets new goals, such as moving 1,400 more families into new homes, keeping more than 8,000 families from becoming homeless, and spending $20 million over the next two years to develop intensive Permanent Supportive Housing. The state also wants to increase the number of behavioral health beds and make it easier for housing providers and health care institutions to work together.
The order frees up $19 million in funds that had already been granted to help those in the legal system who can’t defend themselves. That money will go toward new transitional housing and treatment beds in Clackamas County.
The emergency extension takes effect immediately and is scheduled to remain in place through January 10, 2027, unless changed sooner. The governor has promised to check on situations every two months. She stressed that making lasting improvement will depend on meeting the housing requirements of unhoused Oregonians and the health problems they suffer.
Text of EO 26-01 can be found here.
