What is Portland doing to address homelessness?

Homelessness is a serious problem in the US, affecting many cities, including Portland. Recent research shows that overall homelessness in Portland increased by 65% from 2015 to 2023 (from 1,887 to 6,297 people). Portland may not have as many homeless people as other major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego, but due to the lack of shelters for those in need, our unsheltered population is more noticeable on the streets.

One idea for assisting Portland was to offer permanent housing for homeless persons through A Home for Everyone, a collaboration involving the city, Multnomah County, local NGOs, and business leaders. The city of Portland has invested more than $1.7 billion to create 4,608 affordable housing units. This concept, introduced in 2013, has been very beneficial in assisting homeless veterans. However, in 2021, Home for All assisted exactly 11,610 people in remaining at home, while 4,010 people were given permanent housing. Furthermore, in 2022, 13,190 Portland residents received permanent housing aid. Despite these efforts, many people searching for affordable housing are still on extensive waiting lists that can last up to three years.

The next idea was developed in 2021 when the city of Portland and Multnomah County agreed to contribute $1 billion over the next ten years for housing options and basic services to assist those facing homelessness. Furthermore, on November 1, 2021, the city and county announced a mutual commitment to invest $38 million in homeless programs. The funding was intended to finance more shelter beds, outreach workers, behavioral health teams, storage and hygiene units, and camp cleanliness. In prior years, the number of available shelter beds in Multnomah County climbed from 800 to 2,000, with around 6,000 individuals utilizing shelter beds in Portland each year. The number of short-term shelters was also raised, but they could not meet the increased demand.

Next year, on November 3, 2022, the Portland City Council approved five resolutions to address the issue of homelessness. The resolutions called for hurrying the building of affordable housing, putting Portland's homeless closer to resources that can aid them, stopping unlawful street camping, promoting non-standard labor options, and enhancing access to mental health and addiction treatment. Multnomah County's new Behavioral Health Resource Center in downtown Portland opened on December 5, 2022, offering mental health services to those suffering homelessness through a day community resource center. In the future, shelter beds and transitional housing will be provided. In March 2023, the Mayor revealed the location of the first sanctioned campground in Southeast Portland, which would open in the summer of 2023.

Portland also got help at the state level. Governor Tina Kotek proclaimed a state of emergency in much of Oregon on January 11, 2023, in response to the homelessness problem, and she signed three executive orders to free up resources and offer assistance to prioritize homelessness reduction. A $200 million housing and homelessness plan became House Bills 2001 and 5019, which immediately gave $30 million to local towns. The remaining funds will become accessible on July 1, 2023. Governor Kotek stated that "this is just the beginning" and that she intends to suggest more investments.

Despite all of the support that Portland now receives, it is extremely difficult to address all of the requirements of the homeless. Personal issues for persons living on the streets interfere with our efforts, including untreated mental illness and drug addiction. According to estimates, the prevalence of drug usage among those living on the streets ranges from 58 to 88 percent. Fentanyl's low cost and broad availability have made it an increasingly popular drug of choice, as indicated by record overdoses and the unfortunate fact that fentanyl is currently the leading cause of death among those under the age of 50.

Today, there are hundreds of unsanctioned camps spread across virtually every neighborhood in our city, spanning a massive 146 square miles. The City of Portland assessed an average of 115 locations per day for safety and sanitation violations. For safety and environmental reasons, an average of 16 locations were cleaned per day. 

Due to the dispersed nature of the homeless population, there is no way to provide the consistent case management or follow-up required to effectively connect people to the services or shelter they need.

Sources: 
https://www.portland.gov/wheeler/homelessness
https://www.multco.us/multnomah-county/news/news-release-chronic-homelessness-number-falls-across-tri-county-region-2023#:~:text=Multnomah%20County%20reported%20a%2016,also%20dropped%20slightly%20since%202022
https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2022/10/19/wait-time-for-city-of-portlands-affordable-apartments-is-five-years/
https://www.travelportland.com/plan/homelessness-portland/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/26/portland-oregon-homelessness-policy-change
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/10/09/oregon-homelessness-history-background-housing-solutions/