Homelessness in Oregon increased by 8.5 percent from 2022, according to a report released today by Portland State University’s Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative (HRAC). The report details the 2023 Point In Time (PIT) count data, as well as data from the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) that details the number of shelter and housing bed totals. The PIT count is a census of people experiencing homelessness, either sheltered or unsheltered, and is required by the federal government to be conducted by networks of service providers and government agencies that work together to manage homelessness services. Oregon has eight of these networks across the state. PIT count data are reported to the federal government, which publishes them online and includes them in annual reports to Congress.
The PIT doesn’t provide a complete picture of homelessness in Oregon, but can be useful in providing a limited snapshot of homelessness at a certain point in time. The 2023 PIT covered the night of January 24, 2023, and combined with bed counts from HIC data and data from schools reveals several key points to understanding the state of homelessness in Oregon:
- Homelessness continues to rise across most of the state.
- The gap between shelter/housing capacity and the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to grow, contributing to a high rate of unsheltered homelessness.
- Many people of color experience homelessness at disproportionately higher rates than their White neighbors, in particular, Oregonians who identify as American Indian, Alaska Native, or Indigenous; Black, African American, or African; Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; or Multiracial.
- While the total number of people experiencing homelessness are highest in Multnomah, Lane, and Deschutes County, homelessness rates are highest in several rural/semi-rural counties.
“These data make it clear that we must provide enough services in our cities while also ensuring that small towns and rural areas receive essential support; address high housing costs and low availability as drivers of homelessness; and understand the impacts of racism and discrimination,” said Jacen Greene, report lead and HRAC assistant director. “But as sobering as these numbers are, we can alleviate homelessness if we come together as a community and implement evidence-based, equity-centered practices at the needed scale.”
The 2023 PIT count recorded 20,100 people experiencing homelessness in Oregon on a single night. Of those counted, 13,004 were unsheltered (meaning living in a place not meant for habitation) and 7,106 were sheltered (in a shelter or transitional housing). These numbers reflect an increase of 17.2 percent from 2022 for unsheltered homelessness and 4.2 percent in sheltered homelessness. Multnomah County had the highest overall number of people experiencing homelessness but at a lower rate per 1,000 residents than Clatsop and Sherman counties, which had the highest rates of homelessness per 1,000 residents. These increases mirror the national trend, which saw homelessness increase 12 percent between 2022 and 2023. However, Oregon had the second-highest rate of unsheltered homelessness nationwide (65 percent of those experiencing homelessness) and the highest rates of family homelessness as well as unaccompanied, unsheltered youth homelessness.
“While our commitment to expanding shelter beds in Oregon remains steadfast, the sobering reality is that the statewide shelter bed gap has outpaced our efforts,” said Oregon Housing and Community Services Director Andrea Bell. “We hold a fierce urgency to bridge this gap. In pursuit of real outcomes for our beloved Oregon, we must center racial equity and reaffirm human dignity as this improves outcomes for everyone. We know that homelessness, at its root, is caused by the lack of housing that is affordable, and we will hold steady as we continue to push forward solutions through Oregon’s emergency homelessness response.”
Understanding the conditions that perpetuate homelessness is at the core of HRAC's work. The center works to address the challenges of homelessness through research, like this report, with an overarching goal to reduce homelessness and inequitable impacts on communities of color. For example, multiple studies show homelessness is predominantly caused by a lack of affordable, available housing. In Oregon, almost 90 percent of extremely-low-income households are paying more than 30 percent of their income in rent. The state needs about 140,000 new housing units to address ongoing shortages. But the risk of homelessness related to a lack of affordable housing is inequitably distributed.
The 2023 PIT count data show that Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Oregonians experienced homelessness at a rate 3.58 times higher than their overall share of the state population. Black, African American, or African Oregonians experienced homelessness at a rate 3.27 times higher than their share of the population. American Indian, Alaska Native, or Indigenous Oregonians experienced homelessness at a rate 2.43 times higher than their share of the population. Multiracial Oregonians experienced homelessness at a rate 1.66 times higher than their share of the population.