Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson has ordered the Joint Office of Homeless Services to temporarily stop buying tarps and tents to distribute to people living on the street, according to a statement Wednesday.

The decision, first reported by KGW, comes as Portland officials vote on an agreement with Multnomah County on their partnership to reduce homelessness. Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, who is running for mayor, has blasted the county for its policy on tarps and tents, arguing that their distribution harms the city’s “livability and the ability for small businesses to thrive.”

Vega Pederson said she asked the joint office to stop purchasing tarps and tents until the committee that would oversee the new homeless response system can meet to discuss their policy on passing out supplies.

“My goal is to reduce the need to hand out tents and tarps by increasing the number of shelter beds and moving more people off the street and out of shelter back into housing,” she wrote.

John DiLorenzo, the lawyer behind a legal settlement last year that forced Portland to clear more tents from city sidewalks, said in public testimony two weeks ago that the county’s continued funding of tents and tarps for homeless residents was costing the city millions in clean-up costs.

The county’s recently adopted budget sets aside $230,000 for tent supplies, with a budget of 6,500 tents. The joint office, the city-county funded department managing homelessness services, has earmarked over $100 million for shelters in the next fiscal year.

If the homelessness response agreement passes at both the city and county level this week, the oversight committee would meet in October to discuss the progress of the new partnership and the future of tarp and tent distribution.

In a video Wednesday Morning, Gonzalez thanked Vega Pederson for her decision.

“(I’m) very appreciative of this collaborative step,” he said.

— Austin De Dios covers Multnomah County politics, programs and more. Reach him at 503-319-9744, adedios@oregonian.com or @AustinDeDios.

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