Oregon legislation · 2025 Legislative Measures
Oregon HB3644: Relating to a statewide shelter program; and declaring an emergency.
Status: Chaptered, August 7, 2025
Digest: This Act requires the OHCS to create a statewide shelter program. (Flesch Readability Score: 72.6). Requires the Housing and Community Services Department to establish a statewide shelter program through which regional coordinators are selected to administer funding to shelter providers. Sunsets January 2, 2034. Requires the department to adopt rules on or before January 1, 2026, and to select regional coordinators on or before May 1, 2026. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
What the bill says
From the enrolled text, June 26, 2025:
83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session House Bill 3644 Sponsored by Representative MARSH; Representatives ANDERSEN, DOBSON, GAMBA, LEVY E, Senator NERON (at the request of Governor Tina Kotek) CHAPTER ................................................. Relating to a statewide shelter program; and declaring an emergency. Whereas Governor Tina Kotek's emergency response to unsheltered homelessness, in partnership with the Legislative Assembly, has funded increased shelter, rehousing and homelessness prevention services; and Whereas Oregon is projected to support over 4,800 shelter beds, rehouse 3,300 households and prevent another 24,000 households from experiencing homelessness by June 30, 2025; and Whereas the state has significantly expanded its role in Oregon's shelter system over the past five years; and Whereas this expansion has maintained critical funding for local governments and services providers; and Whereas many of these efforts have been one-time or emergency in nature; and Whereas in July of 2024, Governor Kotek and Representative Pam Marsh convened a sustainable shelter work group tasked with developing recommendations for a permanent state shelter program; and Whereas the work group published a set of recommendations for program implementation; and Whereas it is necessary to create a statutory framework under which the Housing and Community Services Department may implement the work group recommendations through the development of program rules and administration of funds to regional providers; now, therefore, SECTION 1. (1) As used …