The Clark Center is one of Portland’s most successful programs for ending people’s homelessness. It provides immediate shelter for men and connects them to stable or permanent housing. The Clark Center is not in the Portland Housing Bureau’s proposed 2013-2014 fiscal year budget, although the bureau has requested funding for it as its highest priority in a budget add-back package.

 

Essential Facts

 

• 90 beds (half of all City-funded shelter for men)
• Served 661 people in 2012
• Half went directly to permanent or stable housing

 

The loss of the Clark Center would mean...

 

• The immediate homelessness of 90 men
• Between January 28 and February 3, 2013, Transition Projects had to turn away 546 people for shelter. Closing the Clark Center will add 90 people to the number of persons denied shelter.
• Dramatic increases in the wait for shelter
• As of February 4th, the wait for men’s shelter is currently 12 weeks. Closing the Clark Center would mean immediate waits of at least 24 weeks--6 months.

 

Sets back the 10-year plan on homelessness

 

• The Clark Center is very efficient at moving people into housing. Unlike other programs, the Clark Center does not have selective requirements to enter the program. Its placement rate into stable or permanent housing is remarkably high. Losing the Clark Center would set back the progress on the 10-year plan.
• Disproportionate impact on communities of color
• While people of color comprise about 27.9 percent of Multnomah County, the Clark Center serves 43 percent people of color. The loss of the Clark Center would have a disproportionate impact on people of color.

 

Loss of leveraged funds

The Clark Center receives $125,383 from Multnomah County in leveraged funds for the Clark Center, and approximately $50,000 in meals provided by volunteers and in-kind donors. These funds will be lost if the Clark Center closes.