In a letter to supporters, City Commissioner Dan Ryan outlined his reasons for wanting to end the city’s current homeless services agreement with Multnomah County. Along with colleagues Rene Gonzalez and Mingus Mapps, Ryan on Wednesday asked the City Attorney to draft an ordinance to dissolve the agreement, allowing it to appear on the agenda before their terms expire at the end of the year.
“It isn’t improving Portlanders’ ability to access our public spaces, and it isn’t creating measurable, net gains that demonstrate we are making progress on homelessness in Portland,” Ryan said about the current agreement.
Ryan, who is running for a council seat in District 2, criticized the county for not spending enough Metro Supportive Housing Services (SHS) dollars on shelters with services, such as the Safe Rest Villages, which he helped usher in during his tenure as the commissioner in charge of the Housing Bureau from 2021 to 2023. The SHS tax, approved by voters in 2020, is a regional tax on high-income earners and large businesses, designed to fund homelessness services like rent assistance, addiction and mental health support, and shelters with services.
In the letter, Ryan referenced his late brother, who struggled with homelessness and addiction.
“I was called to service in 2020 because my brother died on our streets—Tim died because there were no services for someone like him experiencing a behavioral health crisis,” Ryan wrote. “It is time to burst the County’s insular Housing First bubble and reset our relationship with a commitment to action and demonstrable results that meet Supportive Housing Services taxpayers’ expectations—like fully funding shelters with services.” he wrote.
It’s still unclear when the ordinance will appear on the council’s agenda. City Commissioner Carmen Rubio has indicated that she will oppose the proposal to withdraw from the agreement.
