Catholic Church to get 300 chronically homeless off street; housing emergency extended

PORTLAND, Ore. — Around 1,300 Portlanders are considered chronically homeless, meaning they've been on the streets for years and may have mental health issues that prevent them from getting a job.

Catholic Charities of Oregon announced a partnership to get 20 percent of those people in supportive shelters over the next five years.

"We're asking the parishes to step up and embrace supportive housing as part of their ministry," said Richard Birkel, executive director of Catholic Charities of Oregon. "This is about inviting people who are vulnerable into our communities."

Catholic Charities has teamed with the Archdiocese of Portland and Providence Health to help 300 people who need additional services.

Birkel says it's too early to determine how many shelters will be built, but the goal is to repurpose underused space at parishes throughout Multnomah County.

"This will require all hands-on deck," Birkel said. "We're asking the parishes to step up and embrace supporting housing as part of their ministry."

The funding for this project comes from Catholic Charities' Healthy Housing Initiatives. Portland is one of a handful of cities to be selected.

The Thursday morning announcement came just hours before Portland City Council voted to extend the Rose City's housing emergency until 2021. That allows it to expedite the zoning process for affordable housing projects and emergency shelters.

Portland City Council extends housing emergency: