Homelessness in Portland, OR

According to Oregon law, the agreed upon definition of homelessness is "the lack of a decent, safe, stable and permanent place to live that is fit for human habitation."

This definition is not limited to only those living on the streets; but also reliance on temporary shelters. Breaking this down further, there are 3 types of homelessness:

Individuals or families caught in the maze of the shelter system; General characteristics include those older in age, experiencing long-term unemployment and sometimes suffering from a disability or substance abuse problem.

Those who enter the shelter system for a short period of time. These people are usually younger and experienced a large event that caused their previous arrangement to collapse; this type has the highest turnover due to individuals finding new situations shortly after becoming homeless.

People who are frequently in and out of homelessness due to short bursts of employment and possibly issues with mental health or substance abuse. Many of those who fall in this category are likely to be younger in age.

• Housing cost is more than what jobs pay. On a minimum wage job a person makes $23,500, if rent were 30% of their income it would be $589/month. The average "affordable" two bedroom apartment in Portland is $1,600/month.
• Affordable health care is not common enough and high deductibles and prescription prices cause low income families to choose between their health or stable housing.
• Childcare can cost 50% or more of a minimum wage income. This increases the hardship on low income families that can't afford to pay for childcare because it can mean a harder time finding work that pays well enough. Leaving a child alone at a young age is not an option.

The map above gives us a reference as to where we rank compared to other states. Between 2015 and 2019 there was an increase of over 2,000 reported instances of homelessness, statewide. However, we are looking more closely at Portland Oregon for our purposes.

The point in time count (PIT) is compiled every two years and serves as a real-life snapshot into homelessness. It is a collaborative count from the Joint Office of Homeless Services and Multnomah County. Unlike with the previous counts, the 2019 report has an interactive dashboard that allows for detailed information based on what you need.

Below is a map that shows reported cases of homelessness as reported to the one point of contact between 8/24/2020-2/28/2021. These reports can range from someone sleeping in a car to an established tent community. The orange background breaks up the Portland area by zip code.

There are some factors that decrease campsites in populated areas:

• Private security is growing increasingly popular among high rise and upscale apartments; this acts as a deterrent for many who are seeking shelter and forces them to seek places further from resources that help them.
• Sleeping areas are limited to the ground due to city planning - Park benches and bus stops will have anti-sleep functions.

"Don't try to drive the homeless into places we find suitable. Help them survive in places they find suitable." - Daniel Quinn

Causes of homelessness. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2021, from http://www.pdxhfs.org/causes-of-homelessness#:~:text=Housing%20is%20too%20expensive%20and%20jobs%20don't%20pay%20enough&text=place%20to%20live%2C%20and%20new,30%25%20of%20a%20household's%20income.

Homelessness in America. (2017, September 21). Retrieved March 04, 2021, from http://nationalhomeless.org/about-homelessness/

Maui, W. (2019, April 23). The numbers behind oregon's homelessness crisis. Retrieved March 04, 2021, from https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2019/04/the-numbers-behind-oregons-homelessness-crisis

Michael J. Totten is a contributing editor of City Journal and the author of six books, I. (2019, June 18). Portland's homeless challenge. Retrieved March 04, 2021, from https://www.city-journal.org/html/portland%E2%80%99s-homeless-challenge-14185.html

Oregon homelessness Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2021, from https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-statistics/or

Ors 458.528¹ policy on homelessness. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2021, from https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/458.528#:~:text=(1)%20As%20used%20in%20this,is%20fit%20for%20human%20habitation.

Point in time count - reports. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2021, from http://ahomeforeveryone.net/point-in-time-counts

Portland Maps, Data. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2021, from https://www.portlandmaps.com/metadata/index.cfm?action=DisplayServiceLayer&ServerLayerID=724

Zimmer, P. (2020, July 20). Street Roots. Retrieved March 04, 2021, from https://www.streetroots.org/about