Effective Steps Towards Homeless Prevention

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Rates of homelessness are increasing across America, but especially in Portland, OR. According to the Portland.gov website, homelessness has increased in the city by a striking 65% between 2015 and 2023. Despite increased budgets and city efforts, homelessness is only getting worse. Something is missing from the equation and people are experiencing it and paying for it. 

It takes a lot of resources to fix what's already been damaged, but what if we put resources into making sure it never got broken in the first place? One of the most overlooked aspects of the homeless problem in America is prevention, but what does that look like? Does it even work? The average cost of a chronically homeless person costs taxpayers $36,000 a year, while in comparison someone in supportive affordable housing reduces that to only $12,800 a year (National League of Cities, 2024). The first step is simple: rapidly increase affordable housing so people don't get on the streets in the first place, and risk spend years waiting while experiencing physical and psychological harm that keeps them stuck there for even longer. Other solutions such as short term financial assistance programs that allow people living paycheck to paycheck in unfortunate circumstances to pay bills show even higher homelessness prevention rates with less taxpayer costs (National League of Cities, 2024).  Services that support families and individuals in poverty need to be at the forefront of solutions when attempting to solve homelessness. 

Citations and Where to Learn More:

What is homelessness prevention?. National League of Cities. (2024, January 12). https://www.nlc.org/article/2024/01/02/what-is-homelessness-prevention/

Homelessness and behavioral health. Portland.gov. (n.d.). https://www.portland.gov/wheeler/homelessness#:~:text=Overall%20homelessness%20in%20Portland%20increased,of%204%2C608%20affordable%20housing%20units.

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