Oregon's Housing Crisis and Its Impact on Low-Income Families

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In recent years it's been increasingly difficult for low-income families to keep up with the rising cost of rent and to find affordable housing options. In fact, in the state of Oregon the number of affordable rental homes is only 26 for every 100 extremely low-income renters. That simply means there isn't enough housing being created to keep up with the demands and needs of our most vulnerable. In 2023, there were over 800 families on housing waitlists in Multnomah County alone.

The high cost burden of rent and inflation, as well as the lack of affordable housing are some of the economic factors that have led to an increase in the number of people experiencing houselessness in the state in recent years. In fact, people experiencing houselessness under the age of 18 increased from 2023 to 2024 by a disheartening 32%. This trend points towards an issue that is clearly worsening. That statistic not only includes the children of struggling families but also unaccompanied minors on the street. A report done by the Oregon Department of Education in 2023 discovered 3,496 homeless children were alone without a parent or guardian. Additionally, a state housing report in the same year discovered that Oregon ranks number 1 for unsheltered child homelessness, at a rate of 19.9 per 10,000 children.


The impact of houselessness on children can have severe and long-lasting consequences, including behavioral problems, poor academic performance and even serious health and safety concerns. No child should have to endure these difficult circumstances. If your family or anyone you know is experiencing homelessness or is at-risk, or if you know of any struggling families or children in your life, there are help and resources available: 


https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/children-youth/pages/homeless-youth.aspx

https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/for-providers/pages/youth-emergency-housing-assistance.aspx

https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/food/Pages/default.aspx


There are also many ways to get involved and help. Working for and donating to various nonprofit groups, such as Housing Oregon, can help make an impact. As a statewide association, Housing Oregon consists of 128 organizations dedicated to changing local laws and policies to help finance and build more affordable housing to meet the needs of low-income families and combat the housing crisis.


https://housingoregon.org/








Sources:

https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/who-experiences-homelessness/children-and-families/

https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/about-us/pages/state-of-the-state-housing.aspx

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/portland-multnomah-homeless-families-children/283-9e0b36c5-3239-40c7-a5bb-719cf517bbcf

https://www.streetroots.org/news/2024/02/14/new-report-expands-county-homelessness-data

https://www.wweek.com/news/2024/12/28/oregons-homeless-population-is-8th-largest-in-the-nation-hud-count-shows/

https://nlihc.org/gap#summary-table


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