Salem City Councilors on Monday will consider adopting a sheltering plan that’s meant to outline city spending on homeless shelters over the next four years, and prioritize existing services over starting new efforts.
The plan outlines approved and expected city spending on services including micro shelter sites, a new city cleanup team, and the city’s navigation center, expected to open later this year as a one-stop resource for homeless people to get help connecting with services.
The city has budgeted about $14.8 million to spend on sheltering services this year.
Many of those efforts are currently being funded through one-time payments from state grants and city Covid relief funds, most of which expire by 2024. Once those payments expire, Salem will face a budget gap of about $7.5 million for fiscal year 2025, and $9.6 million for 2026 to maintain services, according to a report to council.
Gretchen Bennett, the city’s homelessness liaison, said staff wanted to make sure they’re clearly communicating where the city stands on funding for homeless services, given that those programs as a priority for councilors.
“We just want to be sure we’re helping them have that information. It can be hard to track over multiple years and see what that burn rate is or that spend down,” she said.
The report says councilors need to prioritize which services to continue funding for upcoming budget years, and should focus on maintaining existing services over new efforts.
“Expending additional funds now on new or enhanced activities or services will result in a funding shortfall for current activities and may result in discontinuing those activities earlier than anticipated. Staff recommends not funding new or enhanced activities or services until additional funding is identified and secured,” the agenda item says.
Councilors will also hear an update on the city’s progress on implementing its climate action plan, intended to cut Salem’s greenhouse gas emissions over a 30 -year period. Councilors will review a list of recommended strategies for early adoption.
Councilors will hear updates on the city’s neighborhood traffic management plan, and the city’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
How to participate: City council meets virtually at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12. View the meeting on YouTube or watch on CC:Media Channel 21. Submit comments on agenda items by 5 p.m. on the day of the meeting at [email protected].
Public comment and testimony may also be provided during the meeting via Zoom. Pre-register between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting at the following link: https://www.cityofsalem.net/government/city-council-mayor/how-to-give-public-comment-at-salem-city-council-and-budget-committee-meetings
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
