Poverty & Homelessness Board All Member Meeting: August 20, 2026

The Lane County Poverty and Homelessness Board held an all-member meeting on August 20, 2026, focusing on updates and planning related to homelessness services and funding. Key procurement-related discussions included the announcement of an upcoming emergency shelter Request for Proposal (RFP) scheduled for January 2027, with shelter programming to start in July 2027. The board reviewed current shelter funding reductions and anticipated continued decreases without additional state investment. They also discussed the ongoing litigation affecting the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which has paused grant competitions and created uncertainty around federal funding awards. The board approved the 2026 Community Needs Assessment, which will inform future funding priorities and strategic planning, including potential infill of service gaps if additional funds become available. Updates were provided on various task groups addressing case management gaps, advocacy efforts for sustaining and increasing homelessness funding, food security initiatives, and youth-specific coordinated entry assessment improvements. The meeting included motions to approve the consent calendar and the community needs assessment, with the latter to be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval. The board also discussed a recent grant application focused on youth homelessness system improvements, with results expected by October 2026.