The Who and the Why of Homelessness in Portland

We often hear from media outlets how Portland is facing a “crisis” or an “epidemic” of homelessness, yet these buzzwords don’t truly quantify the situation in a meaningful way. We must understand who is currently facing homelessness in the city in order to be able to provide meaningful help.

According to statistics available on the City of Portland’s website (with data from the 2015 Point-in-Time Report), there was actually a 17% decline in chronic homelessness overall, but that the risk of homelessness had increased significantly for certain groups of people. For example, at the time of reporting the city found a 48% increase in homelessness among African Americans. Other populations with increased risk of homelessness in Portland include the disabled, who make up 57% of the overall homeless population, and women, who experienced an 18% increase in homelessness from the previous year.

In 2017 another Point-in-Time Count was published, and at this point the unsheltered homeless population (those living on the street in cars, tents, etc.) had dropped significantly, but that African Americans, the disabled, and women continued to show disproportionate rates of homelessness. This data points to existing systemic injustices which disproportionately affect marginalized people, and this must be accounted for in any plan of action that is drafted if we are to truly fight homelessness in a meaningful and ethical way.