Portland, Multnomah County brace for cuts to homeless services

• "They'll be dealing with much higher caseloads, more severe issues, and it'll be just really stressful and harder for them," Jacen Greene, assistant director of Portland State University's Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative, told Axios.

State of play: Portland City Administrator Michael Jordan notified city council members last week that the city is short $11 million to cover costs for its homeless shelter program this year. Officials were betting on the money coming from the Oregon Legislature, but it was not included in the final budget package.

• The shortfall comes as Portland Mayor Keith Wilson aims to deliver on a campaign promise of opening 1,500 new shelter beds by the end of the year — a goal that's becoming increasingly out of reach. Only about 600 new beds have been added so far.
• Plus: Multnomah County said it's facing a $28 million reduction in state funding and is considering closing roughly 200 shelter beds if it's not addressed. More than 660 people could lose rental assistance, too.

What's next: Portland City Council will meet to discuss how to address the budget gap later this month, while the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners will vote on budget modifications on Oct. 16.