Low wages slow use of homeless services funds in Multnomah County

PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) -- Homeless service providers say low wages, leading to vacant positions and high turnover, are a major reason why Multnomah County is far behind on spending funds from the Metro Supportive Housing Services measure.

In a May 31 letter to tri-county leaders, the Portland Business Alliance and 63 local nonprofits and businesses said members feared that staffing issues were the “one major roadblock” to progress on homeless services. “While there are many reasons for the staffing challenges with our service providers, we believe persistently low wages are the main culprit, which must be urgently diagnosed and addressed,” the letter stated.

"Despite the demanding nature of their roles, these essential workers are currently underpaid, leading to difficult recruiting efforts and high turnover rates that hinder our ability to effectively address the crisis," the letter continued.

Shelter workers in particular face low pay for difficult work. Current job listings at major local providers offer pay as low as $19 per hour, which equals $39,520 per year.

Even for a studio, the fair market rent in Multnomah County is $1,500. To afford that rent — meaning spend no more than 30% of their wages — a worker would need to make $29 an hour.

Read more at PortlandTribune.com.

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