The Importance of Mobile Asset Storage and Security Programs

Secure your belongings. Restore stability. Support HoldSafe.

Having your belonging secured, you also secure your housing, employment, and health. 

 #affordable #housing #community #cost

By: Colette Laskey, Eman El-Tayib, Elizabeth Le, Emily Le, Nnamdi Ugonna - Marketing FTA

WHERE DO YOU PUT YOUR LIFE?

 

"Where Do You Put Your Life?” Rethinking Storage and Homelessness in Portland
Portland State University Capstone projects are meant to tackle real problems, and here’s one most people overlook:
Where do people experiencing homelessness store their belongings during the day?
Is that really a big deal?
It is! More than most people realize.
Imagine carrying everything you own 24/7. Not just a backpack, but blankets, clothes, important documents, medications. Now try going to a job interview like that. Or a doctor’s appointment. Or even just riding the bus.

That’s the reality for thousands of people in Portland.

According to regional data, over 12,000 people are experiencing homelessness across the metro area. Many of them are unsheltered, meaning everything they own stays with them at all times. Without secure storage, people are stuck in survival mode, unable to focus on getting back on their feet.

But wouldn’t public lockers just attract more camping nearby?

That’s the concern people usually jump to.

But here’s the twist: the opposite often happens.

When people have a safe place to leave their belongings, they’re actually more mobile, not less. They can leave encampments during the day, access services, attend interviews, and move through the city more freely.
Programs like Portland’s day storage services already show this in action. When storage is available, people are better able to connect with housing resources and employment support.
So instead of encouraging camping, lockers can reduce the need to stay in one place.

Do storage programs actually make a measurable difference?

Yes, and the numbers are hard to ignore.

In Portland, when belongings are removed during campsite cleanups, people recover their items only about 4% of the time. That means IDs, medications, and survival gear are often gone for good.

Think about that for a second.
Losing an ID alone can delay access to housing, jobs, and benefits for weeks, or even months. Now imagine that happening repeatedly.
Secure storage breaks that cycle. It protects the few assets people have and gives them a stable starting point to rebuild.

What about safety and misuse of locker areas?

Fair question, but this is where design matters.

Successful programs don’t just drop lockers on a sidewalk. They include:
Staffed or monitored locations
Check-in systems
Clear rules and time limits
Partnerships with service providers
A well-designed system doesn’t create chaos, it creates structure. And structure is exactly what’s missing for many people trying to transition out of homelessness.

So why should Portland invest in something like this?

Because it’s not just about helping individuals, it’s about improving the city as a whole.
When people don’t have to carry everything they own:
Sidewalks become more accessible
Public spaces feel less congested
Encampments are less concentrated
People are more likely to engage with services

And here’s something that might surprise you:

Portland spends significant resources responding to homelessness through campsite removals and emergency services. But without addressing root barriers, like storage, those efforts often become a cycle.
Storage is a small investment that can reduce bigger, ongoing costs.

So what’s the big idea?

A Portland State University capstone project could propose a network of secure, accessible locker stations across the city, placed near transit, shelters, and service hubs.
Not just lockers, but a system:
Scalable
Monitored
Connected to real support services
Because sometimes, solving a huge problem starts with something simple:

Giving people a place to safely put their things.

Why should you care?

Because this isn’t just about “them”, it’s about all of us.

It’s about:
Safer, cleaner public spaces
More efficient use of taxpayer dollars
Helping people move toward independence instead of staying stuck

And honestly, if losing everything you owned could set you back months… wouldn’t you want a solution that prevents that?

Small changes can lead to big outcomes. This is one of them.

Want to see how Portland is already tackling this issue, and what could come next?

Click here to learn more about local day storage programs and how they’re making an impact:
https://www.portland.gov/homelessness-impact-reduction/day-storage

The Reality Behind “Just Get a Job”

A lot of people say things like “why don’t they just get a job?” when talking about homelessness. But after looking more into this issue, it’s clear that it’s not nearly that simple. Think about what you actually need to get and keep a job. You need an ID. You need a place to store your clothes. You need to be able to show up consistently. You might need tools, documents, or even just a phone charger. Now imagine trying to manage all of that while also worrying that everything you own could be stolen or thrown away at any time. That’s the reality for a lot of unhoused people.

      Losing something like an ID doesn’t just mean replacing it. It can take weeks, sometimes longer, and usually requires other documents that might also be missing. Medications are even more serious, losing them can directly impact someone’s health. And something as simple as losing clean clothes can affect whether someone even feels comfortable going to an interview.

       This is why smaller solutions can actually make a big difference. Mobile storage programs might not sound like a huge change, but they directly address one of the most overlooked problems: the constant loss of important belongings.

       If people had a safe place to store their things, even temporarily, it would make it easier to follow through on appointments, keep documents safe, and focus on longer term goals. It’s one of those things that seems small on the surface but has a ripple effect on everything else. Also, these programs can be designed in ways that involve the community. For example, partnerships with local organizations or even involving unhoused individuals in managing the system can help build trust and reduce misuse. So instead of asking why people don’t just fix their situation, it might be more useful to look at what barriers are actually in the way.

It’s More Than Just “Stuff”

     

  Imagine finally getting your ID replaced after weeks of trying, just for it to get stolen the next day. Or having your medications taken, your work clothes ruined in the rain, or everything you own thrown away during a sweep. For a lot of people experiencing homelessness, this isn’t necessarily a rare situation. It’s something that happens over and over again.

One thing I didn’t really think about before this project is how important stability is when it comes to moving forward. It’s not just about having a place to sleep. It’s about being able to keep your belongings safe long enough to actually use them. Things like IDs, documents, medications, and even basic clothing aren’t just “stuff”, they’re what allow people to apply for jobs, show up to interviews, access services, and keep appointments. Right now, a lot of unhoused people have to rely on things like carts, bags, or hiding their belongings, which isn’t secure at all. That means even if someone is actively trying to improve their situation, they’re constantly being set back. It becomes a cycle that’s really hard to break.

     That’s where the mobile asset storage programs come in. The idea itself is pretty simple and secure. The weatherproof lockers can move to where people actually are, instead of expecting people to travel across the city and leave their belongings behind, the storage comes to them. It’s not a full solution to homelessness, but it removes one major barrier that people deal with every day. And honestly, it’s something that doesn’t just benefit the individual. It can also reduce clutter in public spaces and make things feel more organized and safer for everyone.

      At the end of the day, this is about giving people a fair chance to move forward without constantly starting over. Stability is the foundation for everything else whether it’s jobs, housing, health, and safety. Without it, progress becomes almost impossible.

More sources on how storage impacts stability and houselessness below:

https://endhomelessness.org/overview/ 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/storage-ending-homelessness_n_5724610 

When Helping Saves Money: Why Investing in Unhoused Solutions Makes Sense

By Eman E.

Homelessness is usually talked about as a moral issue. And it is. People deserve stability and

safety. But another side that often gets overlooked is that helping people who are unhoused is,

in many cases, less expensive than managing homelessness through emergency systems. In

other words, investing in housing and support can actually save cities money over time. And

this is especially true in Portland, where the unhoused issue has been growing year after year.

According to the 2023 Point-in-Time Count from Multnomah County, more than 6,000 people

were experiencing homelessness on a single night in the Portland area. That number reflects

thousands of people interacting with public systems every day. Those systems cost money.

According to reporting from Oregon Public Broadcasting, cities and counties spend large

amounts each year on emergency shelter, sanitation clean-ups, law enforcement response, and

crisis medical care related to homelessness. Emergency room visits are especially expensive.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, people experiencing homelessness

are far more likely to rely on emergency rooms and crisis services because they don’t have stable

access to preventative care.

Managing homelessness through emergency systems adds up quickly. According to a well-known

cost study conducted in Central Florida and cited by the National Alliance to End Homelessness,

one chronically unhoused individual cost taxpayers over $30,000 per year in emergency services,

jail time, and hospital visits. When that same person was placed into supportive housing, the cost

dropped significantly because emergency usage went down.

Research consistently shows that supportive housing reduces public costs. According to the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development, permanent supportive housing programs reduce

shelter stays, hospital visits, and incarceration. Studies referenced by the National Alliance to End

Homelessness show Housing First programs not only improve stability but also lower overall

public spending because fewer emergency interventions are needed.

Portland has also invested in prevention. Metro’s Supportive Housing Services program states that

regional funding approved by voters is being used to create affordable housing and provide rent

assistance and case management. Prevention programs cost far less than emergency shelter or

repeated crisis response. According to research summarized by the Urban Institute, preventing an

eviction is significantly cheaper than supporting a household once they enter homelessness.

When we look at the numbers, the pattern is clear. Emergency response is expensive. Police calls,

hospital visits, jail stays, clean-ups, and temporary shelters all cost more over time than stable

housing paired with support services. Investing upfront in housing, case management, and addiction

treatment isn’t only ethical. It’s financially practical.

Learning how these programs work can help shift the conversation from short-term crisis

management to long-term solutions that save both money and lives. If you want to explore more

research on how housing solutions reduce public costs, the National Alliance to End Homelessness

provides accessible reports and data here:

👉https://endhomelessness.org

Lack of Public Lockers Fuels Homelessness in Portland

 

The lack of public storage lockers acts as a structural barrier and might end up costing the taxpayers more money. In Multnomah county, which includes Portland, deaths among people experiencing homelessness have risen sharply over the last several years. According to ProPublica, deaths increased from 113 in 2019 to more than 450 in 2023. This surge occurred even as the city spent roughly $1.3 billion on homelessness responses between 2021 and 2024. Researchers interviewed in the article argue that Portland’s strategy, heavy encampment sweeps combined with a shift away from permanent housing, may actually worsen risks for people living outside. People experiencing homelessness in the county also face dramatically higher mortality risks, according to Oregon Public Broadcast, they are 6x higher at risk of death overall, and 40x higher risk of death from an overdose, compared with the general population.

According to the investigation, Portland has dramatically increased camp removals, since 2021 the city has carried out about 19,000 sweeps and In 2024 alone, city crews dismantled over 20 encampments per day. Researchers told the reporters that frequent displacement can make unhoused people less safe and harder to reach with services. When a camp is cleared, people often lose essential belongings like medication, identification, phones, survival gear, and documents needed for housing or benefits. 

The role of public storage lockers continues to be overlooked. Without safe storage, people experiencing homelessness must constantly carry or guard everything they own. ID cards, Social Security documents, and medical paperwork are frequently lost during sweeps or theft. Without them, it becomes harder to apply for housing, access benefits, enter treatment programs, and secure employment to name a few. 

There are also health and survival risks, essential survival gear like blankets, medications, mobility devices, or overdose-reversal supplies can be confiscated or discarded at any time. Losing these items can directly increase risk of illness, exposure, or overdose.Without storage, belongings become targets, forcing people to stay with their possessions rather than seek services. The ProPublica investigation emphasizes that housing stability is central to reducing deaths, with researchers stating solutions “begin and end with housing.” However, storage access can function as a harm-reduction step when housing isn’t immediately available. In cities that provide lockers or storage programs, service providers often report improved engagement with outreach programs because people can temporarily separate survival needs from their belongings.

The rising number of deaths among people experiencing homelessness in Portland reflects more than a housing shortage, it reveals the consequences of constant instability. When encampments are cleared and people have nowhere safe to store their belongings, they risk losing the documents, medications, and survival gear that help them stay alive and move toward stability. Without basic infrastructure like public lockers or storage programs, people are forced to carry everything they own or risk losing it at any moment. That instability makes it harder to access services, secure housing, maintain health, and rebuild a life. If Portland is serious about reducing homelessness and preventing further deaths, solutions must go beyond temporary displacement. Providing safe storage, along with housing and supportive services, is a practical step toward restoring dignity, stability, and a pathway out of homelessness.

ProPublica Statistics

OPB Article and Graphics

What Homelessness Costs Taxpayers (And How to Change That)

PC: The LA Times/Raul Roa. 

A chronically homeless person costs taxpayer an average of about $35,500 per year. For a little comparison, that sum is over twice the federal minimum wage ($15,080) and a little over one and a half times Oregon’s lowest minimum wage ($23,400) in a year’s gross pay. Spending that much money on a single chronically homeless person gives many people a sour taste in their mouths, probably even yours, but there are ways to sweeten the palate by understanding where that money is spent and how to reduce the costs.

For many, there is an underlying assumption that homelessness is expensive due to government handouts and welfare programs. While these are certainly costly, two other elements are more costly. Payment for emergency healthcare for injuries, untreated wounds, and diseases that often requires emergency ambulance rides, hospital stays, and treatment that amasses well over a third of the annual costs. Hospital stays are not cheap for anyone, let alone uninsured unhoused persons. The second most costly component is policing and enforcement, making street sweeps, camp breakdowns, arrests, court fees, and jail time for criminalized homelessness rack up over a fifth of the taxpayer’s bill. There is an irony in how those efforts to control homelessness are not only ineffective but also expensive to maintain.

Shelters, temporary housing, and social services like welfare outreach and addiction assistance are at the bottom of the tab, accounting for around two fifths of the annual total costs to taxpayers. Incredibly, studies conducted by both government agencies and nonprofits have indicated the most effective methods to curtail homelessness are through housing and support services. 

People without homes and the safety they provide incur costs from public funds because they are heavily reliant on expensive systems. As the old adage goes, you can get something cheap and fast but it won’t be good, and something fast and good will never be cheap. Emergency responses, treatment, last-resort housing, and law enforcement all are the most expensive ways to exist. On the other hand, stability and dependability are the most economical.

Nobody likes throwing money at a pit, but the math isn’t deceiving you: Expensive healthcare and law enforcement accounts for anywhere between 60-75% of the costs annually, and the most effective way to reduce the tax burden of homelessness is by reducing the need for medical interventions and cutting police responses that aren’t useful.

On the other hand, focusing on the root issues and helping homeless people get back on their feet would cost the taxpayers an average of $13,000 per year. That’s far less than it costs now, and adding that it gives people a fighting chance to get out of homelessness altogether makes it sound like a sweet investment instead.

So, what can you do to turn this around?

Vote for local measures that take a housing-first approach and provide homeless people a modicum of safety they can rely on. Giving them a space to call home for longer than a few nights provides the chance to have belongings and get non-emergency services. It also lets people pursue dreams like having a job again and earning a wage.

Support programs that allow homeless people to possess objects safety, like community safekeeping lockers.

Write to your representatives about how emergency services are an industry in and of itself that drains public coffers and that there are better ways to curb the cost of homelessness. Raise awareness of the numbers and facts.

But most importantly, treat homeless people as humans worthy of dignity and safety. Lowering the expenses incurred on the taxpayer dime starts by seeing them as humans deserving of responsible investments rather than an endless epidemic to be chased around the city.

To learn more about the cost of homelessness, check these links out:
Ending Chronic Homelessness Saves Taxpayers Money and The Costs and Harms of Homelessness