Oregon has a homelessness crisis, and top Republican gubernatorial candidates have ideas on how to address it.
Gov. Tina Kotek has convened a council to find solutions for the state’s shortage of behavioral health workers and tailored her homelessness state of emergency to focus on supporting people with behavioral health needs as part of her response. Kotek in 2026 extended her executive order declaring a state of emergency on homelessness for the third time since 2023.
The Statesman Journal sat down with Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell, state Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Scio, Sen. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, and businessman and former Portland Trail Blazer Chris Dudley, four of the leading Republican candidates for governor, ahead of the May 19 primary.
Here’s how each of them would approach behavioral health and homelessness.
What Danielle Bethell thinks about Oregon’s behavioral health, homelessness crises
Bethell is proud of the work she’s already done on behavioral health.
As a commissioner, she’s worked with Marion County’s systems to improve access to care and strengthen investments in community partners.
Bethell experienced homelessness growing up and said Kotek has failed in addressing the issue.
The reason for that, Bethell said, is because there is a lack of communication with local authorities who better understand the needs of their communities.
Rep. Ed Diehl proposes camping bans, ‘compassionate’ approach
Diehl would work to repeal House Bill 3115, which restricts bans on public camping.
A ballot initiative to do just that, backed by Salem Mayor Julie Hoy, is in progress.
Those bans are necessary to get people off the street and into treatment, the “compassionate” thing to do for those who are homeless and other community members, Diehl said. He also said the state should change its civil commitment laws, which Diehl said would be complicated but beneficial if done correctly.
“We’re saving the state a lot of money and we’re getting people the help they need, making our community safer and cleaner,” Diehl said. “It’s a compassionate accountability approach, that’s how I see it.”
How Sen. Christine Drazan would address homelessness, behavioral health as governor
Oregon needs to focus on getting people into long term treatment and giving them the push they need to get clean, Drazan said.
“We have to give people moments where they actually can recognize that they want better for themselves,” she said. “We’re not doing that right now. We are incentivizing and enabling addiction.”
Drazan has highlighted her pride in expanding a program and funding for homeless youth.
Overall, the state needs more recovery beds to help people who are working toward recovery, she said.
Chris Dudley on drug penalties, behavioral health
Dudley said as governor he would focus on higher penalties for drugs like fentanyl.
He called Measure 110, which decriminalized drugs before they were later recriminalized, “an unmitigated disaster.”
The state’s top priority should be preventing addiction, ahead of providing housing.
“The housing first model has not worked,” Dudley said at the Oregon Republican Party debate. “Shelter is a part of it, but it is not the end-all be-all.”
Anastasia Mason covers state government for the Statesman Journal. Reach her at [email protected] or 971-208-5615.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: What GOP governor candidates would do about homelessness in Oregon
