Oregon Housing and Community Services Executive Director Andrea Bell told the Senate Interim Committee on Housing and Development on Nov. 17 that the agency continues to receive federal funds but is monitoring disruptions as Congress finalizes federal budgets and grant terms. "We receive as a department a little over more a little more than $530,000,000 in federal funding," Bell said, noting that federal programs account for roughly 15% of OHCS resources and include both supply-side and supportive-service programs.

Bell said the recent federal government shutdown has ended and that Congress advanced a stopgap reopening through Jan. 30, 2026, but she cautioned that HUD’s final budget is still unresolved and differs between House and Senate proposals. She singled out the HOME Program as a critical supply-side program that, without adequate funding, would limit HUD’s ability to support housing production across states.

"There are a couple of carve outs that actually run through September 2026, but those are not specific housing programs," Bell said, adding that the agency has worked with federal partners to resume normal operations while some projects with federal funding experienced delays.

Community-action leaders described how federal program changes could affect on-the-ground services. "HUD published a new NOFO ... to recompete the federal homeless grants for this $3,900,000,000," Jimmy Jones, executive director of Mid Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, said. Jones said the notice of funding opportunity changes program structure toward treatment-first models, caps permanent supportive housing components, and introduces new compliance and risk-review tests for applicants. He estimated the changes could push roughly 2,500 people out of housing in Oregon and about 170,000 people nationally, though he characterized those numbers as estimates tied to HUD’s proposed formula.

Committee members pressed for specifics on which populations would be most affected. Jones said seniors are the fastest-growing homeless cohort in Oregon and cited an average statewide rent of about $1,850. He urged continued investment in prevention and shelter systems and said reductions to prevention funding during the last legislative session had heightened eviction and homelessness risk.

Bell and Jones both emphasized uncertainty in several areas: the final HUD budget, evolving grant terms, and any regulatory changes that could alter how local grantees may use or be required to report on federal resources. Bell said OHCS will continue coordinating with federal agencies and provide clarifications to the committee as agency staff learn more.

The committee did not take formal votes; Bell and Jones offered to follow up with additional details and agency staff committed to updating legislators on any substantive developments. The committee adjourned after completing its informational agenda.