A sign that reads “last generation” lies among tents and tarps along SW 13th Avenue in Portland, April 4, 2022. Malheur County is now a part of the homelessness state of emergency Oregon Governor Tina Kotek declared earlier this year.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Malheur County is now a part of the homelessness state of emergency Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared earlier this year. Before Malheur’s addition, Clatsop County was also added to the declaration, illustrating that homelessness reaches beyond the urban borders of Oregon.
Tom Vialpando is the mayor of Vale, Malheur’s county seat. He says that homelessness might look different in rural areas but the issue still exists.
“As a rural community in Eastern Oregon, many would assume homelessness is not an issue for us,” he said. “Unfortunately, like most cities in Oregon, Vale has a significant amount of population who find themselves unhoused or unstably housed and facing extreme rent burdens.”
Earlier this week, Kotek also signed an emergency homelessness response package into law. The package includes millions in funding devoted to rural areas affected by homelessness.
Thousands of people experiencing homelessness live in rural parts of the state, according to federal data. Vialpando said that the limited resources available to rural Oregonians in the county are centered around Ontario, Malheur’s largest city.
He added that different cities within Malheur County need to work together to ensure county-wide resources.
“There needs to be some collaboration between our cities, county and agencies so that we can make sure that what resources we do have are available to everyone,” Vialpando said.
In 2021, Oregon passed a law requiring cities to codify where and when people can camp on public property, as opposed to simply banning it outright. Those rules go into effect on July 1.
The mayor said Ontario, Nyssa and Vale are working together to ensure that the ordinances of each city line up.
“I’m in talks with our other bigger cities around here so that we can be on the same page,” he said. “We’re not kicking the can to each other.”
Vialpando is also part of a task force on homelessness for the Oregon Mayors Association. He said he hopes to bring more attention to rural issues.
“It seems that everybody’s thinking - and it possibly could be true - is the farther you get away from where decisions are made, the less voice you have,” he said.
Vialpando spoke to “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller about homelessness. Listen to the conversation: