Housing & Homelessness

Eugene’s Homes for Good celebrated the grand opening of their latest development, the Commons on MLK on Thursday.

The City of Eugene recently adjusted policies on urban camping given COVID-19. But, advocates say the rules only dictate where the unhoused can’t stay, not where they can.

While communities across the country have delayed or cancelled their annual homeless point-in-time counts because of COVID-19, Lane County will proceed with theirs this year. They’re relying on a database to conduct the count safely.

Normally, Lane County counts the unsheltered with hundreds of volunteers who find and survey people who may be homeless. 

A new affordable housing development in Roseburg is set to open in April this year, and will begin accepting applications for eligible renters on Jan. 15

The advocacy group, Stop Death on the Streets held their 2nd annual vigil in Eugene on Friday Jan. 8. About 100 people came to mourn the lives of homeless people who died in the past year. 

Lane County Board of County Commissioners approved an affordable housing action plan conducted by Better Housing Together on Wednesday. The goal is to increase housing options and reduce the risk of homelessness.

For Oregonians that have been struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 crisis, the next few weeks could be dire.

For thousands of Oregonians unable to pay their rent, the next four weeks will be crucial.

After reaching a land agreement last week to lease land from the Oregon Department of Transportation, the city of Eugene removed homeless campers living near the I-105 bridge, on Wednesday, Dec. 2.

Lane County has begun dispersing Pallet shelters to its cities, including loaning several to smaller communities. The temporary structures are part of an effort to increase non-congregate shelter options for the unhoused.

The perception that most homeless people are from out of town isn’t accurate, says a local official charged with analyzing the issue.

An early cold snap has prompted an emergency shelter response, so homeless people can escape freezing temperatures.

The wait-list for applicants with Project Based Voucher referals opened on Wednesday for the Commons on MLK. The studio apartment complex is one of the first housing developments geared toward ending chronic homelessness in Lane County.

The Springfield City Council unanimously voted to amend an ordinance, expanding which commercial buildings can provide temporary emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness. 

A new program supported by Willamette Family Treatment and St. Vincent de Paul aims to make behavioral and physical health care more accessible for unhoused people. Operating within walking distance from the Dawn to Dawn site and the Eugene Service Station, The Hub could be a “game changer.”

Round three of Lane County’s Rent Assistance services for COVID-19 affected residents will open at 9 am, this Friday, October 16th.

The Eugene City Council approved a motion, 6-2, on Wednesday to provide additional rest stops for unsheltered people. These sites could provide up to 100 beds, as well as storage space, hand washing stations, a kitchen area, and restrooms for the unhoused.