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Earlier this morning, the Board of County Commissioners adopted values related to county housing and shelter services.
The values document can be found and downloaded from the county website.
The board has prioritized focusing on housing and sheltering in Clackamas County for several years, as evidenced by the overarching Performance Clackamas strategic plan (and previous iterations), the many programs and services that Clackamas County offers in this area, and continual actions to fund such services (example).
The values document – the language of which relies on previously established, guiding housing and sheltering documents of the county, such as the Supportive Housing Services’ Local Implementation Plan – provides stakeholders, partners and the public with an understanding of the county’s priorities when addressing this critical local issue.
The document outlines 13 values that the county and its service providers should strive for when providing related services. These are grouped in three categories: providing lasting and effective programs and services; creating equitable housing solutions and housing access; and providing robust community engagement opportunities. The full text of the document appears below.
Last April, the board approved a similar values document on Proposed Transportation Funding Solutions for the Interstate System in the Portland Metropolitan Area. That document has been referenced many times in public settings since its inception, as it clearly articulates the board’s values and explicitly states their belief that tolling or congestion pricing on I-205 will have a disproportionate and detrimental effect on Clackamas residents, businesses, and visitors.
Clackamas County Values on Housing and Shelter
April 12, 2022
Clackamas County keenly focuses on the well-being of all our families and communities. Continual investments made in affordable housing and sheltering, and providing supportive services to those in need, are key to keeping our communities safe, healthy and prosperous.
Lifting people out of homelessness, expanding access to affordable housing, and maximizing service impacts are critical to an overarching goal of the Board of County Commissioners: to alleviate poverty and ensure the safety, health, and security of our residents. Clackamas County has identified the following values to guide housing-related programs.
Lasting and effective programs and services: Clackamas County and its service providers should…
- Focus on making homelessness and housing instability rare, short term and not reoccurring
- Ensure housing options are safe, stable, and provide choice to meet the needs of each individual
- Create housing opportunities across the geographic area of Clackamas County
- Create housing opportunities for individuals and families in high-opportunity neighborhoods and sites with access to resources, such as transit, jobs, quality schools, commercial services, and parks
- Develop partnerships that lead residents to a path of sustainability, self-sufficiency and housing retention using person-centered, trauma-informed service approaches
Equitable housing solutions and housing access: Clackamas County and its service providers should…
- Center racial equity and incorporate culturally-responsive practices into service delivery
- Use culturally-specific organizations with competencies to provide services to historically marginalized communities
- Ensure that staff and volunteers have the knowledge and experience to effect an increase in equity and decrease housing disparities
- Increase affordable housing in areas with existing underserved diverse populations throughout Clackamas County
Robust community engagement: Clackamas County and its service providers should…
- Inform decisions and plans through inclusive and accessible public outreach strategies
- Solicit feedback from residents and partners across a variety of channels and methods
- Recognize existing barriers to public participation and take steps to remove them, especially in the case of historically marginalized communities
- Ensure information is thorough, understandable and available