Death of Homeless People Quadruple Due to Sweeps
In 2019-2023 around 1200 homeless people have died in the Multnomah County of Oregon, with nearly all of these individuals being from Portland Oregon. 450 of the deceased were from 2023 alone as reported by the Multnomah County Health Department. This staggering increase has landed Multnomah County as the highest mortality rate among the homeless of all major west coast counties. What has caused the Multnomah County once known across the United States for its progressive stance towards the houseless to have been crowned the highest annual death rate for the unhoused in the west coast? It should be noted that while homeless is the more common term to refer to individuals without permanent or stable housing, this article will utilize the term unhoused to better humanize these heavily stigmatized against people
Public pressure over removing the unhoused from public areas has increased over the years. This public pressure has led to a staggering amount of sweeps in Portland since 2021, totaling up to around 19,000. For the uninformed, sweeps are when the city forcefully displaces houseless individuals from public or private property. Forcefully moving people and their belongings might not seem lethal, but it turns out individuals who face multiple sweeps are 22% more likely to die from drug overdose. It isn’t as simple as using drugs as a crutch to the stress of being relocated. People lose access to resources such as community or medication availability for things such as opioid use disorders. People with substance problems trying to overcome them have the resources needed to overcome them made less accessible or straight up taken during the sweeps. One such individual was Debby Beaver who died in 2019 at the age of 57. She had a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and seizures. When her encampment was swept by a private for profit company hired by the city, they took her medicine and she died a week later. The company insisted that their workers did not seize Beaver’s medication, but was sued over the issue which was settled out of court in 2024.
The consequence of the sweeps on Portland’s death toll concerning the unhoused is horrific. Ways to remedy this include contacting the mayor of Portland to focus more on long term housing programs then temporary shelters. It isn’t without public outcry to match the public opinion that encouraged such aggressive sweeping that the death rate can be mitigated. Having the highest mortality rate of west coast counties is a thing to be content about, it is shameful. A human life is not something that should be easily glossed over, we have the ability to fix the issue or bring awareness to it.
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Citation
Portland said it was investing in homeless people’s safety. Deaths have skyrocketed. (2025, June 11). Street Roots. https://www.streetroots.org/news/2025/06/11/portland-homeless-deaths-multnomah-county
Walters, J., Mosites, E., & Bruno, R. (n.d.). Domicile Unknown. Review of Deaths Among People Experiencing Homelessness in Multnomah County in 2023. https://multco.us/file/domicile_unknown_report%3A_analyzing_deaths_in_2023/download Zielinski, A. (2021, August 12).
Family of houseless woman files wrongful death complaint against Sweeps contractor. Portland Mercury. https://www.portlandmercury.com/Housing/2021/08/12/35857487/family-of-houseless-woman-files-wrongful-death-complaint-against-sweeps-contractor
Written by Ryan Kelly
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