All articles tagged with #homeless services
Metro's forecast indicates that economic weakness in Multnomah County will limit growth in homeless services tax collections, potentially impacting funding for local programs, with collections expected to be only slightly higher than last year after accounting for a one-time payment boost, and ongoing economic challenges may force service cuts.
Eleven people were hospitalized after a stabbing at the Union Gospel Mission in Salem, Oregon, with a suspect in custody. The attacker, a man new to the facility, reportedly became violent after a fight and was found with a knife. The incident was captured on security video, and the victims included staff and individuals at the homeless services provider.
Chicago voters have rejected a proposed one-time real estate tax on properties over $1 million, intended to fund services for homeless people, in a blow to Mayor Brandon Johnson. The tax aimed to generate $100 million annually for homeless services, but faced opposition from real estate groups who argued it unfairly targeted commercial properties. Despite legal challenges, the Illinois Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal. Similar measures have been approved in other cities, including Los Angeles and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
A Chicago ballot measure proposing a real estate tax increase on high-end property sales to fund homeless services is facing a legal challenge, with a Cook County judge rejecting the measure but it remaining on the ballot as the legal battle continues. The proposed tax overhaul would generate an estimated $100 million annually for homeless services, but real estate groups argue it would unfairly burden commercial real estate. The fate of the measure is high stakes for Mayor Brandon Johnson, who championed the effort, and similar measures in other cities have faced mixed results and legal challenges.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has intervened in a federal lawsuit filed by St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Brookings, Oregon, over fines imposed by the city for providing homeless services. The DOJ argues that the city's zoning restrictions on the church's ability to feed the homeless violate federal antidiscrimination laws and religious freedoms. The lawsuit claims that the city's ordinance, which requires churches to obtain a license and imposes scheduling restrictions on homeless services, is burdensome and discriminatory. The DOJ's intervention is part of an initiative to enforce the federal law protecting religious institutions from unduly burdensome land use regulations. The church is hopeful that the federal intervention will result in a favorable ruling and set a precedent for similar cases nationwide.