PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The city of Portland applied for a $550,000 federal grant to create a service to take people to a new 24/7 sobering centre. But Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office said Multnomah County took too long to get it up and running, so the funding has lapsed.
The money from the US Bureau of Justice Assistance was awarded in September 2022. Multnomah County approved funding to begin implementing parts of the Behavioral Health Emergency Coordination Network services a few weeks ago.
County officials told KOIN 6 News the grant was submitted before they took over the behavioural health network. They added that funding for transportation to the sobering centre, which would be operated by the Community Network for Coordinated Transportation, is a priority.
Cody Bowman, Mayor Wheeler’s communications director, said: “Our community desperately needs immediate stabilisation resources, and we will continue to work with our regional partners to get them online.
Multnomah County leaders have been struggling to get more than $60 million in unexpected revenue out the door. Late last month, they approved nearly $7 million to build a 24-hour stabilisation centre.
At that meeting, Portlanders testified in favour of the centre.
One person said, ‘The other few detox options are overwhelmed and people have to get on the waiting list to get in, and for so many people. Waiting another minute for help is not enough.
