Oregon hasn't spend majority of 2020 wildfire recovery funds

• Caleb Yant, chief financial officer of OHCS, told the outlet the delay is largely due to inexperience and bureaucratic red tape. "We had never done this before," he said.

Between the lines: Residents who lost their homes due to the fires must exhaust all other funding avenues — state and insurance benefits — before they're allowed to access federal dollars.

• Yes, but: A large share of homeowners in Jackson and Lincoln counties who lost their residences at the time were on public assistance and didn't have insurance or equity in their home.
• This led to repeated requests for support, according to the report.

The latest: Yant told the Oregon Journalism Project he does not expect the Trump administration will revoke funds before they expire in 2029.

• Plus: OHCS recently came to an agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last month to loosen restrictions "in distributing the biggest pot of money" to fire survivors.

What's next: As the state enters a new wildfire season — one expected to mirror last year's record-setting blazes — OHCS could be tested.