Central Oregon Health Council :: Measures for Stable Housing and Supports

Why are these measures important?

Please see the information below, describing the measures being tracked for this priority area, and why they are important.

Learn more about this topic and others through funded pilots and projects on the "What We're Learning" page.

Severe Rent or Mortgage Burden

There is a strong and growing evidence base linking stable and affordable housing to health.
As housing costs have outpaced local incomes, households not only struggle to acquire and maintain adequate shelter but also face difficult trade-offs in meeting other basic needs.
When the majority of a paycheck goes toward the rent or mortgage, it makes it hard to afford doctor visits, healthy foods, utility bills, and reliable transportation to work or school.
This can, in turn, lead to increased stress levels and emotional strain (countyhealthrankings.org, 2020).
Mortgaged monthly owner costs are comprised of mortgage, second mortgage, home equity loan or line of credit, utilities (electricity, gas, other fuels, water), real estate taxes, property insurance, and any mobile home costs or condominium fees that may be applicable.
Rental costs are comprised of rent and utilities (electricity, gas, other fuels, water, and sewer).

In Central Oregon, we are seeing:

The current number of households that are severely rent and mortgage burdened is 15%, and the target in the 2020-2024 RHIP is decreasing this percentage to 13%.
Severe rent or mortgage burden is defined as paying more than 50 percent of one's income on rent, mortgage, and maintenance related to the rented or mortgaged property.

Housing Choice Vouchers

Housing barriers exist for specific populations with the greatest challenges for those at or near the poverty level.
The housing choice voucher program assists very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market.
Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments.
The federally-subsidized Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, administered locally by Housing Works, allows voucher holders to rent a unit of their choice, assuming the landlord accepts vouchers and the unit meets the program's physical condition and rent guidelines.
However, in 2018 only 30% of voucher holders were able to find and lease a home, primarily due to a lack of rental openings but also due to other barriers including poor credit history, lack of security deposits, and criminal history (Lesly Gonzalez, Housing Works, personal communication, October 17, 2019).

In Central Oregon, we are seeing:

The 2019 percentage of Housing Choice Voucher holders able to find and lease a housing unit is 30.2%, and the target in the 2020-2024 RHIP is increasing this percentage to 50%.
2020 data will become available in December of 2021.

Homelessness

The housing crisis is contributing to rising homelessness across the region.
The annual Point-In-Time (PIT) count provides a snapshot of those sleeping outside or in shelters on a mid-January night.
In 2019, 880 people were counted in the regional PIT (HLC, 2019).
In Warm Springs in January 2019, 34 families reported being homeless, and 20 of those families had children under the ages of 17 (CTWS HHS, 2019).
While these numbers are acknowledged as being underreported, the overall number has been increasing each year and the primary reason cited by respondents for their homelessness continues to be economic.
Whereas the PIT count provides some useful information regarding patterns of homelessness, Central Oregon lacks a robust data collection strategy.
The Homeless Leadership Coalition (HLC) acknowledges the need for a comprehensive homelessness assessment, including more data on racial and ethnic minorities that are likely even more underrepresented than the overall homeless population.

In Central Oregon:

Currently, there is no comprehensive system to determine an accurate number of those experiencing homelessness.
By December 2024, a comprehensive system for accurately capturing the extent of Central Oregonians experiencing homelessness will be in place and utilized.