LWVPDX Podcasts

LWVPDX Community Education Panel: Untangling City-County Services

League of Women Voters of Portland Season 2025 Episode 4

In the second of our two-part series on Multnomah County, we will take a critical look at the overlapping city-county services that regularly rank as the most confusing and frustrating to Portlanders: homelessness, housing, and behavioral health.

  • How do the city’s and county’s approaches to these challenges differ? 
  • How is the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department funded and how does it work?
  • What is the practical impact of this dual system on those experiencing homelessness or mental health problems? 
  • Most importantly, is there an effective shared pathway to resolving the human crisis that has overtaken our community?

Our expert panelists offered their thoughts and answered your questions.

Our speakers come from the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and local community providers, to get perspectives from across our community:

  • Jamie Dunphy, Portland City Councilor and Vice Chair of the Council’s Homelessness and Housing Committee
  • Anna Plumb, Interim Director for the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department
  • Scott Kerman, Executive Director of Blanchet House
  • John Karp-Evans, Deputy Director of The Peer Company (formerly Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon)

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This podcast comes from one of our community education programs held free of charge for our members and the public. Visit www.lwvpdx.org to learn more, become a member, or donate and support these programs!