I have been reporting to you for several weeks now on our efforts to try and improve how we address homelessness in Pendleton. I now want to let you know about a direction the city is advocating to local service providers that we hope will be impactful in addressing our communities mental health, addiction, and homeless problem.

You see people living on the streets, struggling with addiction or mental illness, and you wonder why local government seems unable to act decisively. You ask why we can’t simply clear encampments or require people to accept help. These are fair, heartfelt questions born from concern for our neighbors, our safety, and the quality of life we all cherish here.

The truth is that homelessness in Oregon is not always a simple problem of personal choice.

Many of the individuals we see on our streets suffer from severe, untreated mental Illness — conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression that impair their ability to make sound decisions or seek help. While at one time there were thousands of beds for people, suffering from mental health issues, now there are less than 1,000.

Substance use disorders, often intertwined with those illnesses, compound the issue. There are no penalties for using or possessing small amounts of narcotics, even in spite of recent changes to Measure 110. Oregon’s limited treatment beds and legal protections that safeguard individual rights (sometimes at the expense of immediate intervention) have left us with fragmented services that too often fail the most vulnerable. Law enforcement officers encounter the same people repeatedly, yet without available detox, psychiatric care, or stable housing, arrests or citations rarely lead to lasting change.

That is why the city is proposing that our current service providers agree to work with us to implement Built for Zero. This proposal flows directly from the priorities and action steps outlined in our City Strategic Plan, which identified the need for a more coordinated, data-driven, and accountable approach to homelessness, mental health, and addiction.

What is the Built for Zero model?

Built for Zero is our community’s adaptation of the nationally proven Built for Zero model developed by the nonprofit Community Solutions. It is active in more than 100 communities nationwide, including, (I believe newly) in parts of Oregon such as Central Oregon and Multnomah County. We are learning it is not another scattered program or feel-good slogan. It is a disciplined methodology designed to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.

Rather than simply helping more people each year, the model focuses on building a high-performing system capable of driving homelessness down to “functional zero” — a point where the number of people experiencing homelessness is lower than the system’s proven monthly capacity to house them successfully. Communities often start by targeting specific groups, such as those experiencing chronic homelessness, and expand from there.

The power of the by-name list

At the heart of Build to Zero is a practical tool called a by-name list (or by-name dataset). This is a real-time, shared database that lists every person currently experiencing homelessness in the community — literally by their name — along with key details about their situation and needs. Unlike one-night snapshot counts, the by-name list is dynamic and updated daily. It typically includes basic information (name, age, location), homelessness history, specific needs and barriers (mental health, substance use, medical issues), and current service involvement. All providers — law enforcement, mental health and addiction services, housing navigators, shelters, and nonprofits — work from the same secure, privacy-protected list. This eliminates guesswork, reduces duplication, and allows teams to prioritize the most vulnerable individuals, match them quickly to available resources, and track outcomes in real time. In a small town like ours, where resources are limited, this focused visibility is especially powerful.

Real results from other communities

We understand communities using this model are already seeing measurable success. In Fremont County, Colorado, the community reached functional zero for veteran homelessness through coordinated outreach and housing placements, ensuring new cases are resolved quickly. Bakersfield/Kern County, California, reduced chronic homelessness from 62 people to just three and has sustained that low number. Detroit cut veteran homelessness by nearly 50% in one effort, while Minneapolis/Hennepin County achieved a 30% reduction in chronic homelessness and a 14% drop in veteran homelessness by improving system coordination.

These examples show that when providers align around real-time data and shared accountability, visible and lasting reductions are possible — even in places facing challenges similar to our own.

How it would work here

If providers agree to participate, Build to Zero would operate through real-time coordination, integrated services (with clearer protocols linking law enforcement, mental health, and housing), and relentless measurement of results. It emphasizes housing as a foundation (often following Housing First principles) paired with voluntary wraparound supports. It respects individual rights while creating practical pathways out of street living.

I want to be clear: Build to Zero is not a guarantee that every challenge will vanish overnight. Major obstacles exist for many. Oregon’s broader housing shortage, behavioral health workforce gaps, and the heartbreaking reality of severe addiction and mental illness mean progress will take time, sustained funding, and strong partnership from our providers. But this model has already shown results elsewhere by treating people as neighbors who deserve both compassion and accountability.

Our small town has a big heart. We have always pulled together in tough times. By proposing Build to Zero as a key strategy from our City Strategic Plan, we are choosing evidence-based collaboration over frustration. We are choosing measurable progress over anecdotes. And most importantly, we are choosing hope — for the men and women suffering on our streets, for the families worried about their safety, and for the future of the community we all love.

Robb Corbett is the city manager of Pendleton.

East Oregonian

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