PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland will spend more than $900,000 this year in an effort to tackle homelessness.
The Oregonian reported Mayor Charlie Hales announced Thursday that the city plans to get at least 50 people off the streets this year by cooperating with Cascadia Behavioral Health, the Urban League of Portland and the Native American Rehabilitation Association.
The social service providers, with the help of police, will focus on the most vulnerable of the homeless population, with an emphasis on African Americans and those suffering from mental illness.
The city also plans to add a new hotline and storage lockers for homeless people.
The mayor said more money is needed to provide shelters, affordable housing and mental health care for the more than 2,000 people sleeping outside in Multnomah County.
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