Category HOMELESSNESS
New program will help incarcerated people go directly to shelters, not the streets
The state recently awarded the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency an $800,000 grant which will launch a new program to take unsheltered people released from prison or the Oregon State Hospital straight to a shelter where they can get behavioral health support. It aims to improve outcomes and reduce repeat arrests.
How state money has shaped sheltering in Salem
A recent report shows that Gov. Tina Kotek’s January 2023 executive order has helped shelter over 600 homeless people and families in Marion and Polk counties and added more than 200 shelter beds.
Frequently camped Market Street underpass to be blocked by fence
The Oregon Department of Transportation began installing a $75,000 fence last week to block people from camping underneath the Interstate 5 overpass at Northeast Market Street. The department said camping close to busy traffic is unsafe.
Oregon has the highest rate of child homelessness in the U.S. A new Salem center aims to help
The ARCHES Family First resource center, which opened on Feb. 17, gives homeless families in Salem a dedicated space to relax, get supplies and connect with health care and shelter.
Oregon Gov. Kotek, lawmakers push for more regional collaboration for homeless shelters and services
House Bill 3644 would formalize practices local governments and service providers developed during the ongoing homelessness state of emergency.
Salem-area homeless deaths declined in 2024, preliminary state data shows
Oregon Health Authority data shows the number of homeless people who died in Marion and Polk counties decreased last year from 50 to 45. Homeless advocates say that’s thanks to an increase in available shelter beds in recent years.
Salem mobile home tenants testify in support of rent limits
Mobile home tenants say a proposed bill limiting rent increases will help them afford essentials with fixed incomes. Landlords warned the bill could force them to sell to out-of-state companies, and limit repairs on properties.
Grassroots effort helps unsheltered dogs stay warm
Salem business owner Krystal Kraig Labate has helped animals her whole life. For the past decade, she’s organized dog-coat donations to help unsheltered people in Salem care for their dogs in cold weather.
State courts wipe over 8,000 past evictions in Marion, Polk counties
A state law passed in 2023 required courts to seal past evictions annually in some circumstances, removing a key barrier to finding new housing that heightens renters’ risk of homelessness.