By BRYCE DOLE/Oregon Public Broadcasting
SALEM — Oregon House lawmakers on Monday passed a budget bill that allocates more than $2.6 billion toward confronting the state’s housing and homelessness crises.
In a 39-3 vote, lawmakers approved House Bill 5011, which reduces the Housing and Community Services Department’s current budget by roughly $1 billion over the next two years.
Eighteen lawmakers were either excused from the floor vote or absent. Ten of them were Republicans who were boycotting the floor session in protest of a Democratic lawmaker’s conduct during a committee meeting last Friday.
The housing and homelessness bill would provide large amounts of money — nearly $205 million — toward homeless shelters across the state, continuing a statewide initiative backed by Gov. Tina Kotek.
The vote comes as Oregon faces financial headwinds amid ongoing trade tensions and slower-than-expected economic growth. The most recent revenue forecast indicated lawmakers have about $500 million less to spend than they thought they would have for the state’s next budget.
The bill received little input from lawmakers on Monday. Rep. Willy Chotzen, D-Portland, said on the chamber floor that he was disappointed by the cuts, adding: “I know that with the decrease in revenue, this body has had to make some really impossible choices.”
“I’m thrilled to see what we are able to fund here,” Chotzen said. “But I just want to urge my colleagues to get creative going forward about anything we can possibly do to keep Oregonians housed.”
The bill has prompted swift rebuke from housing advocates who say it’s the wrong time to cut eviction prevention funding, which they claim helped many Oregonians stave off homelessness as rental costs outpaced wages. Last year, eviction filings hit record highs as homelessness increased and local governments issued fewer housing permits.
The bill is also far less than what Gov. Tina Kotek requested at the beginning of this year’s legislative session. For instance, Kotek had asked for $173 million toward eviction prevention, but this budget allocates $33.6 million.
The budget would also allocate $50.3 million toward helping Oregonians transition from homelessness to stable housing (Kotek had asked for $188.2 million), and $87.4 million for long-term rental assistance (Kotek’s request: $105.2 million). It would also allocate $10 million toward housing programs for Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes.
The bill is scheduled to head to the state Senate for its first reading on Tuesday. Under the state constitution, lawmakers must pass a budget and adjourn by Sunday, June 29.
- This story originally appeared June 23, 2025 on Oregon Public Broadcasting.
