If Oregon is going to have a program to help low-income people avoid becoming homeless to help keep them healthy, it should be a program that helps low-income people avoid becoming homeless.

The state’s relatively new Health-Related Social Needs benefit is failing people who need it to succeed.

The best place to learn more about this problem is to read an article by Nick Budnick in The Lund Report, which you can find here: tinyurl.com/Housingfail. (It does require a subscription to view.)

As he reported, person after person testified at a state Medicaid advisory committee last week explaining how the program had let them down. People were teetering on the brink of eviction from apartments. They had letters from the state saying they qualified for benefits to help them keep housing. And they didn’t get the money in time.

The Oregon Health Authority’s website spells out that not everyone qualifies for the benefits and “HRSN housing benefits aren’t meant for emergencies. It takes time to approve and receive HRSN housing benefits. Times can vary by service and provider.” And it is a well-intended program, as Ellen Pinney, a principal ombudsman for the state, said. But it’s turned into “a nightmare for a number of people.” They hold letters in their hands saying they have approval for six months of rent and are being led out of their buildings for not being able to pay their rent.

Providers of the services, such as CareOregon, say the program was launched without adequate infrastructure in place to make it work.

Kristen Lambert, a communications officer with the Oregon Health Authority, told us OHA is aware that some people who qualify for the program have more immediate needs than the program provides. She said OHA is working with its partners to improve understanding about the program and speed up its processes.

Gov. Tina Kotek has stressed that she is sick and tired of government in Oregon not working right. This is another example that needs fixing.