Benton County awarded $1.2 million in emergency sheltering funds to Unity Shelter, local officials announced Tuesday. The funds will enable the shelter to expand its capacity by reactivating 50 shelter beds and adding 40 more.
The funding comes from House Bill 5019, which was approved by the Oregon Legislature and signed by Gov. Tina Kotek.
The nonprofit organization Unity Shelter operates the Corvallis Men’s Shelter, which is located at 211 SE Chapman Place. The shelter was forced to close the facility in June following budget uncertainty during the legislative session.
Through HB 5019 funding, the state allocated $2.4 million to Benton County. Unity Shelter worked closely with Benton County’s Coordinated Homeless Response Office to apply for the funding.
“Our mission is to provide safe shelter through collaborative care. Sustainable funding is vital to that mission,” Shawn Collins, Unity Shelter director, said through a press release. “We’re thankful for our partners at the Coordinated Homeless Response Office for their help in securing this funding, which will not only add new beds but also support critical building improvements for year-round operations.”
Benton County officials said that it is continuing to work with local housing and human services providers to meet or exceed the HB 5019 goal of rapidly rehousing 31 households and increasing shelter capacity by June 2025.
“While we celebrate this win, we have a lot more work to do as a community to ensure everyone in Benton County has the opportunity to live in decent, safe and affordable housing,” Rebecca Taylor, Coordinated Homeless Response Office program manager said in a press release. “We are incredibly grateful to our community partners for their dedication to this mission.”
Collins plans to make a presentation on the topic at Wednesday’s Benton County HOPE Advisory Board meeting. The meeting, which begins at 4 p.m., will be virtual only because of an illness with log-in options available online.