Portland's Tent City: Homelessness Crisis stats P.1

 

Portland's Tent City: Homelessness Crisis Stats

by Vivian Soriano-Cervantes

A survey called Point-In-Time, backed by a federal mandate, counted the homeless population in tri-counties of Portland, Multnomah County, Washington County, and Clackamas County. With their data, they found that there is currently an estimated nearly 7,000 people sleeping on the streets, without a home or anywhere to go on a given night. Not only is this extremely alarming on its own, but during the pandemic it is even more disturbing. 

Several reports have been made showing that vulnerable populations such as the homeless are likely to experience coronavirus complications if they do not receive the help they need immediately. And because it is incredibly contagious, many are at risk of it.

Local activists in Portland have called for more government agencies to implement more measures to assist homeless individuals temporarily move into shelters as they work with case workers to find long-term solutions. 

Katrina Holland, manager of JOIN, a homeless services agency in Portland, acknowledges how important knowledge on the issue of homelessness is just as important as implementing measures, "homelessness is a symptom of a larger, systemic problem. Her team believes in scaling up housing-first initiatives, enacting programs that make people aware of housing instability earlier in the process, increasing outreach and investing in affordable housing."

Source: Portland homeless count shows rise in those living on the streets | kgw.com