This photo from October 2023 shows a homeless camp at Reed Market Road and U.S. Highway 97 in Bend. 

The Coordinated Houseless Response Office, a regional effort by Deschutes County and its cities to address homelessness, is recruiting two members for a newly-formed advisory committee.

The 15-member committee will be called the Coordinated Houseless Response Office Advisory Committee, or CHROAC. Members will advise the office’s governing board, which consists of a Deschutes County commissioner and one city councilor from the county’s four cities: Bend, La Pine, Redmond and Sisters.

“Serving on the CHROAC is a great opportunity for Deschutes County residents to weigh in on important community issues related to houselessness,” Chris Ogren, an analyst for the office, said in a Wednesday announcement. 

While the new advisory committee won’t have decision-making abilities, members will weigh in on the goals embedded in the coordinated office strategic plan. Among those goals are funding, legislation and community engagement and education.

Other members on the committee include someone who has experienced homelessness, a medical professional, a federal or state land management agency employee, a law enforcement officer and representatives from the business, faith and housing sectors. Initial members will serve staggered one- and two-year terms with subsequent terms being two years, according to an announcement from the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council.

COIC is currently in the process of assuming oversight of the office after just more than one year under Deschutes County‘s guidance. During that time, the office lost its first and only director after just months in the role. 

The office was initially created by the Legislature in 2022 as a three-year pilot project for seven Oregon counties and the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council under House Bill 4123.

Deschutes County residents are encouraged to apply for the paid advisory committee position by noon Jan. 31, and applications must be submitted via email to jhrabik@coic.org with an explanation of the applicant’s qualifications.