Community Connection seeks shelter grant applications for Union County providers

Existing shelter providers in Union County and three neighboring counties now have a short window to compete for up to $148,548 in state shelter money that could help keep beds open from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Community Connection of Northeast Oregon is taking applications from current shelter operators in Baker, Grant, Union and Wallowa counties, and the money can be awarded to one organization or split among several, depending on regional need and the strength of the proposals.

The grant is aimed at keeping shelters operating, not building new ones. Eligible services include overnight shelters, housing-focused shelters, domestic violence shelters and inclement weather shelters, but only applicants that already have existing, operational shelter beds or spaces can apply. The services funded must be offered at no cost to participants, a safeguard that keeps the money focused on people who are already homeless or at immediate risk of losing housing. The program also requires low-barrier access, habitability standards, confidentiality, nondiscrimination and equal access, insurance coverage and Homeless Management Information System compliance, with administrative costs capped.

For local providers, the deadline is the pressure point. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on June 12, 2026, and selected applicants are expected to be notified around June 26. In practical terms, any shelter operator that misses the cutoff loses a chance at operating dollars for the next fiscal year, which could leave fewer resources to keep existing beds available during severe weather, family crises and housing instability across rural Union County and the rest of the four-county region.

Community Connection is serving as the regional coordinator for Oregon Housing and Community Services’ Statewide Shelter Program in Baker, Grant, Union and Wallowa counties. Oregon’s guidance says the program is intended to maintain shelter operations, services, administration and bed capacity across the state, and prioritize low-barrier shelters while also supporting recovery-based shelters. Governor Tina Kotek announced more than $102 million in statewide shelter funding awards on May 14 to 22 regional coordinators, and Community Connection was among the recipients.

The local agency has long been the region’s conduit for state housing dollars. Community Connection of Northeast Oregon has served Baker, Union and Wallowa counties since 1969, with Grant County added in 1987. In 2023, the four-county region received $1.2 million in emergency homelessness funding to rehouse at least 33 households, another sign that when state shelter money flows through La Grande, it can shape what stays open in small communities across Northeast Oregon.