PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Amid Oregon’s homelessness crisis, Governor Tina Kotek revealed a new pilot project on Thursday, aiming to bring housing stability for unsheltered Oregonians facing mental illness.

Under the Housing 360 pilot, the Oregon Housing and Community Services state agency is awarding $3.4 million in grants to community partners.

In a press release, Kotek said the pilot will help the state take an informed and data-driven approach to helping Oregonians facing mental illness transition from unsheltered homelessness into housing stability.

“To help every Oregonian go from living on the street into stable housing, we need to meet them where they are,” Kotek said. “We know that mental health challenges can stand in the way of people getting the care and housing they need. These projects will help us save lives now and make sure we get the details right into the future.”

The funding includes a $900,000 grant to Benton County to match people in need of housing with available homes while connecting them with behavioral health services.

“We are building capacity among our housing and support service partners for people experiencing homelessness, with the goal of creating a system that is ‘ready to house.’ Our strategy includes housing focused outreach and case management that meets people where they are at and follows them throughout their entire journey towards long-term housing stability,” Rebecca Taylor with Benton County said.

An $800,000 grant to Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action in Marion County will help people exiting institutional or carceral facilities, who were homeless before entering the facilities, by providing case management, medical and mental health care along with help finding stable housing.

Washington County will receive a $700,000 grant to connect people to housing services by embedding housing system navigators in behavioral health programs, while the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council in Wasco County will receive $1 million to help tribal communities disparately impacted by homelessness in the region.

“No matter who you are, what you have, or where you live, everyone deserves access to the housing and services they need,” OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell said. “We also can’t ignore the serious health consequences of homelessness. This partnership puts people first. Housing 360 is rooted in community and commitment, helping local partners deliver life-saving interventions and better outcomes.”

The pilot program comes after Kotek signed Senate Bill 5701 in 2024, which gave $39 million to OHCS for the Oregon Rehousing Initiative to move people from homelessness to permanent and stable housing, the governor’s office noted, adding, Housing 360 is funded through the Oregon Rehousing Initiative.

Since Gov. Kotek declared a homelessness state of emergency in March 2023, the state estimates that 3,300 unsheltered households will be rehoused by July.