Eugene and Lane County are gutting the very services people experiencing homelessness depend on — while spending nearly 3x the necessary rate on shelter. It's time to demand better.
Lane County is the lead agency for homelessness services in our region. Over the past two years, the county has lost over $13 million — and the people on the front lines are paying the price.
State and county funding reductions, FY2025–2027
River Avenue Navigation Center operated by Equitable Social Solutions
$5.8M cut to Lane County HHS
FY2026-27, includes $3.3M shelter funding loss
$7.4M cut the previous year
On top of $5.8M — over $13M total in two years
$950K loss for City of Eugene
State shelter funding not renewed
Timeline of impact
The crisis did not arrive all at once. These decisions stacked up over fifteen months, turning budget shortfalls into fewer beds, fewer workers, and fewer exits from homelessness.
Oregon OHCS receives $205M of the $217M requested, creating a gap before local providers can plan around it.
Local agencies start preparing for reductions instead of expanding capacity.
Multiple shelter operators lose county funding as contracts lapse, putting basic shelter operations into uncertainty.
Providers face the choice of shrinking services or operating without reliable funding.
Lane County HHS loses general fund support, reducing the flexible dollars that can keep shelter, rent assistance, and outreach stable.
The region loses the buffer that could absorb later funding shocks.
The county loses a dedicated outreach grant and lays off 3 of 4 workers connecting unsheltered people to shelter, treatment, and housing.
Fewer people living outside are reached before crises escalate.
A second round of cuts lands on top of the earlier losses, eliminating 90 shelter beds and 33 staff positions.
Shelter, outreach, and prevention all shrink while homelessness remains high.
Bottom line: this is a compound failure. Restoring one program helps, but the full response needs shelter capacity, outreach staffing, rent assistance, and transparent spending decisions to move together.
Street outreach is the front door to the entire homelessness response system. Without outreach workers, people living unsheltered don't know about available shelter beds or get connected to services.
"3 of 4 outreach workers were eliminated after the county lost an $850,000 grant. That means 75% of the workforce that connects unsheltered people to shelter, treatment, and housing is simply gone."
The River Avenue Navigation Center costs $30,700 per bed per year — nearly three times what local nonprofits like Everyone Village spend to deliver the same service at $10,300 per bed.
With approximately 75 beds, that's a difference of over $1.5 million per year — money that could restore outreach, keep shelters open, or serve more people.
We're asking our elected leaders for four concrete actions. These are not radical — they're what any accountable government should do.
Activate emergency budget procedures to access reserve funds and unlock resources. Use general funds, reserves, and discretionary spending authority before more people die on the streets.
Reverse the $3.3M cut to shelter operations that eliminated 90 beds and 33 staff positions. Restore the $850,000 outreach grant and the $920,000 rent assistance program that kept people housed.
The $30,700/bed/year Navigation Center contract with Equitable Social Solutions costs nearly 3x what nonprofits deliver. Mandate transparent, competitive procurement for all shelter and outreach contracts, with cost-per-bed caps.
Require quarterly public dashboards tracking shelter bed utilization, per-bed costs, outreach contacts, housing placements, and contract performance. Taxpayers deserve to know where their money goes and what results it produces.
Our elected representatives need to hear from us. Every call, every email, every public comment shifts the needle.
Opens a pre-filled draft email to all five Lane County Commissioners.
The homelessness crisis in Eugene is solvable — but only with sustained public pressure and informed advocacy.
Data compiled from Lane County HHS budget documents, City of Eugene reports, Oregon OHCS testimony, Community Solutions / Built for Zero, Everyone Village financials, and local journalism. Last updated June 2026.