Safe Spot Communities aren't considered shelter by the state of Oregon.

Safe Spot Communities, a model that has been proven to work in Eugene for over a decade, are not eligible for state support. You can help us change this, but we need your help—and quickly.


We've been keeping a close eye on Oregon House Bill 3644, a piece of legislation that would broaden the state's definition of shelter so it would include flexible, low-barrier, alternative shelter programs like ours. HB 3644 would also replace the state's current one-time shelter funding allocations with an ongoing program, creating stability and sustaining current shelter infrastructure statewide.

The Ways and Means co-chairs have questioned whether shelter should be a state responsibility. But the evidence is clear: the way to address homelessness is by scaling up proven solutions.

With just a few weeks left, HB 3644 is pending in the Ways and Means Committee. We're concerned, because we've heard from the Ways and Means co-chairs that they are uncertain that shelter is a state responsibility. We want to be clear: without the state as a partner, local communities will be unable to sustain this important work.  


Local contributions are already stretched thin. Shelter is a shared state and local responsibility that demands urgent, coordinated action.


Please contact these individuals and convey your support of this legislation:

Heartfelt thanks for your support. Anything you can do in the next couple of days could be critical.

Letter of Support Template

Here is sample language you may want to use for your letter. Feel free to edit this as you see fit:

Support for HB 3644 – A Vital Step Toward Sustainable Shelter in Oregon


I am writing to urge your strong support for House Bill 3644, which establishes a sustainable shelter framework and secures the resources necessary to maintain vital shelter services across our state. This bill reflects the work of a collaborative and transparent process involving voices from communities large and small—including many from outside the Portland metro area.


Shelter investment has had a life-saving impact in our community. In Eugene, more than 3,500 people experience homelessness on any given night in a city of just 178,000. We have fewer than 1,000 shelter spaces—meaning over 2,400 people are left to sleep in unsafe, unfit environments. In response to this crisis, local organizations, service providers, and advocates have collaborated to expand and diversify shelter options to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness. These shelters range from group drop-in shelters to vehicle sites, indoor spaces with individual tents, and "village-style" models. These sites remain in high demand, filled to capacity with long waitlists, demonstrating both their necessity and success in providing stable environments where individuals can find safety, support, and pathways to permanent housing. In Eugene, we know what’s working. But we cannot sustain it without the state’s continued partnership.


HB 3644 provides two essential components:

  1. A clear, statewide policy framework that ensures transparency, equity, and coordination in how shelter services are funded and delivered—regardless of geography or shelter model.
  2. A $217 million budget ask, which is the minimum necessary to sustain the current shelter infrastructure statewide, including flexible, low-barrier, and alternative shelter models that are proven to work but are currently ineligible for state support.


Programs like the STEP (Safe Temporary Emergency Placement) model outlined in the bill are particularly important to our success in Lane County. These models meet people where they are—offering diverse sheltering options designed with community and lived experience at the core. But many of them are at risk because they fall outside narrow funding criteria. HB 3644 fixes this by aligning policy with on-the-ground realities.


Some in the legislature have questioned whether shelter should be a state responsibility. I want to be clear: without state investment, local communities cannot continue this life-saving work. Local contributions—financial and in-kind—already stretch thin. The way to address homelessness is by scaling up proven solutions. State dollars multiply their impact. But if the state steps back, progress made over the last biennium will quickly unravel.


I respectfully urge you to:

  • Support HB 3644 in the Ways and Means Committee and on the Senate floor.
  • Advocate for full funding at the $217 million level to preserve shelter capacity statewide.
  • Recognize shelter as a shared state and local responsibility that demands urgent, coordinated action.


We have made real progress in Lane County. Please help us continue that work. Our neighbors—and the integrity of our response—depend on it.