What is HB 3170: Resilience Hubs & Networks and How You Can Get Involved
House Bill 3170: Resilience Hubs & Networks aims to extend $10M of funding for the next two years for community resilience through the Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM). Thrive East PDX has already endorsed the bill, along with 22 other organizations, such as APANO, Verde, Unite Oregon, Multnomah County Office of Sustainability, and Rockwood Common Tool Library, among others. |
Already funded in 2023 also in the amount of $10M, the funding has previously provided grants, support, and technical assistance for 96 resilience hubs and networks projects such as building repair, community outreach, communications equipment, emergency response equipment, vehicles, training, grant writing expertise, operational expenses, and staffing.
At the time, OREM received seven hundred grant applications, indicating widespread need for the program. This could be due to the devastating impacts of wildfire, heatwaves, ice storms, flooding, and drought across Oregon that have taken a heavy toll in recent years. While once sufficient to focus on response, Oregonians now expect investments in preparing for our new normal.
Community resilience is needed to withstand the impacts of large and small disruptions. Resilience is defined as the ability to cope with and recover from crisis, personally and economically, and to become strong, healthy, and successful again after something bad happens. A Resilience Hub provides basic resources and equipment during a crisis—ranging from a physical structure to a supply site with resources, such as water, food, shelter, power/electricity sources, communication tools, and safety equipment.
Resilience Networks are groups of people and entities that help fill gaps between government agencies and vulnerable communities, including a range of nonprofit, faith-based, and for-profit organizations, traditional emergency partners, such as the Red Cross, and non-traditional partners, such as watershed council.
The benefits of a Resilience Hub are substantial:
- Saves lives – better preparation, more accessible resources, and easier access to information
reduces mortality resulting from major disasters. - Increases equity – those traditionally underserved and in the more remote areas of our state have the least access to support services during a crisis.
- Supports first responders – resilient communities place fewer demands on emergency personnel, enabling first responders to focus on those with the greatest needs.
- Reduces property impacts – communities that are better prepared and able to respond to a major disruption can reduce damage and impacts to the local economy.
- Demonstrates fiscal responsibility – increased community coordination and leveraging non-state funding reduces crisis-related demands on state coffers.
HB 3170 also makes a few minor technical fixes, applying lessons learned to improve implementation and adjusting statute so that the awards can include projects that respond to ongoing climate issues.
For more info about HB 3170, contact Rep. Pam Marsh at rep.pammarsh@oregonlegislature.gov.
CALL TO ACTION
To affirm our commitment to passing HB 3170, Thrive East PDX intends to take the following actions:
- Educate the public about HB 3170 through community presentations
- Provide a template for individuals and groups to email their lawmakers
- Organize and participate in a lobby day in Salem, Oregon
- Collect stories of resilience to share on a dedicated page for Resilience Hubs on ThriveEastPDX.org
How can you help? Would you like to: Sign up for a presentation to your organization? E-mail your lawmakers? Participate in a lobby day in Salem? Share your story of Resilience? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions e-mail Simone or Sabina at simone.crowe@gmail.com or sabina.urdes@gmail.com.
