The Joint Office of Homeless Services – serving Multnomah County and the City of Portland – will be convening two community advisory groups to provide an opportunity for people to be involved in our region’s solution to the homelessness crisis. These two advisory groups, the Continuum of Care Board and the Supportive Housing Services Advisory Committee, will help advise the Joint Office of Homeless Services in our work to end homelessness by ensuring that all who need it can have access to permanent, supportive housing.

They are looking for community members passionate about racial and economic justice, supportive of the work to end homelessness and interested in advising the Joint Office of Homeless Services in this work. This is a chance to make your voice heard in a practical, impactful way. We value the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness, extreme poverty and other forms of oppression and encourage those with lived experience to apply.

Stipends will be available for community members with lived experience of homelessness who are selected to serve on these advisory bodies. These advisory bodies hold monthly 2-hour meetings, with an additional 2 – 3 hours of work outside of meetings (includes reading items for review). The meetings will be online for the time being, with the intention of moving to hybrid meetings at some point. Accommodations will be made to allow all members to attend – and notes will be available for those unable to attend.

Any community member who is committed to the values listed below is welcome to apply to be a part of either advisory body. Please consider applying even if you do not have experience serving on any previous advisory bodies or boards – we value lived experience and will offer training on how to serve on a board/committee.

To apply, check this webpage between April 4 and 15, 2022 to fill out an online application.

If you need an accommodation to be able to apply, please email Joshua Bates at Joshua.Bates@multco.us or Jessica Lam at Jessica.Lam@multco.us.  Or call 503-278-2917 to request an alternative method of applying.

What is the Continuum of Care Board:

This Board will advise on and oversee the implementation of priorities and policies related to the Multnomah County Continuum of Care (CoC). The CoC board is a federal requirement for local governments to ensure alignment with CoC guidelines.  This Board reviews and approves the Continuum of Care Application for federal funding, helps make decisions about what is funded locally with the federal money, designates the local entity that will be the lead organization for the federal Homeless Management Information System, and provides Planning Feedback on the Continuum of Care. The Board is focused on advising the Joint Office on the best ways to help people move from unsheltered homelessness into housing, including affordable housing development, behavioral health, racial equity in homeless and housing services, and regional supportive housing efforts.

What is the Supportive Housing Services Advisory Committee:

This Committee will advise Multnomah County on adherence to the Metro Supportive Housing Services (SHS) Measure and the County’s Local Implementation Plan (LIP) and future regional plans, and will provide ongoing accountability and recommendations related to the Local Implementation Plan and SHS program. The SHS Measure (Measure 26-210) was passed by voters in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas County in 2020 to fund services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The aim of the Measure is to reduce homelessness through services that help people find and keep safe and stable homes.

Our values:

Collaboration: We recognize our interdependence as individuals and as an organization, and approach our work with a spirit of partnership and shared power with those experiencing homelessness and other stakeholders.

Equity: We commit to achieving equity for all individuals. We acknowledge the existence of structural racism and develop, implement and evaluate policies and practices that achieve equitable outcomes with a focus on eliminating the disparities that people of color experience. We believe that focusing on racial equity will allow us to more effectively serve all communities.

Inclusion: We foster within our office and within the community that we serve a culture of safety and belonging that ensures that the voices of people who have been historically excluded, including people of color, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+, and others experiencing homelessness, are truly heard and shape the direction of our work.

Here is the timeline for the formation of these new advisory bodies:

  • Applications open (April 4 – 15)
  • Notification sent out to all applicants (April)
  • Orientation and Onboarding (May)
    • Purpose of Advisory Structure
    • Background
    • Participation Guidelines
    • Meeting Schedules
    • Stipend Policy
    • Racial Equity Commitment and Lens
  • Committees Launch (May/June)

Please check this webpage for the application on April 4th, 2022.