"The Homeless Crisis in Portland Isn’t Just a Humanitarian Issue — It’s a Management Issue"

"The Homeless Crisis in Portland Isn’t Just a Humanitarian Issue —

 It’s a Management Issue"

By Elizabeth Le

    In just two years, Portland's homelessness population has jumped by an alarming 61% even as the state, county, and city provide millions of dollars towards the issue. Numbers found that more than 12,000 people were found without stable housing. Over 2,500 were reported to be living with severe mental illness while another 2,500 were reported to battling chronic substance abuse. 

    With these numbers increasing, taxpayers are all asking the same question: where is their money actually going?

    The uncomfortable truth that leaders don't want to admit is: not everyone who's homeless wants a house.

    It has been noted that individuals who live on the streets choose to remain there, rejecting help with getting housed due to mental illnesses, substance addition, rules, or maybe "the independence that street life provides."

    As politicians are constantly promising to house the homeless, housing won't be the only issue there is to solve. Healthcare also needs to be provided, as there are many individuals on the streets who need treatment for their mental health disorders. 

    One of the found problems with their spending is that they tend to focus more on short-term solutions; temporary things like shelters, camps, and multiple programs being created constantly, instead of focusing on possible solutions to solve long-term issues like treating addiction, improving mental health, and showing more accountability on how funds are being used. 

    These problems can only be solved once leaders start prioritizing the enforcement of public safety, accountability, prioritizing treatment, and do their best with positive results of rehabilitation. Otherwise, these problems will constantly occur no matter how much money is being put in.

If we want to keep Portland and the people in it safe, we must take action towards creating better living situations for those in need.

Learn more about Portland's homelessness crisis here 👇

https://thatoregonlife.com/2025/11/portlands-homeless-population-skyrockets-61-despite-record-spending/