In 2016, a report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revealed that the U.S. state of Oregon had an estimated homeless population of 13,238 with about 60.5% of these people still unsheltered. [1] In 2017, these numbers were even higher. As of January 2017, Oregon has an estimated 13,953 individuals experiencing homelessness. Of this homeless population, 1,083 are family households, 1,251 are veterans, 1,462 are unaccompanied young adults (aged 18–24), and 3,387 are individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. [2] As of 2022, 17,959 people total experienced homelessness in Oregon, with 2,157 individuals being youth under 18, 6,671 being female, 10,931 being male, and 131 being transgender. Also among the 17,959 total homeless in 2022, 15,876 were Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino, 2,083 were Hispanic/Latino, 13,960 were white, 1,172 were Black, African American, or African, 101 were Asian or Asian American, 880 were Native American, and those of multiple race were 1,619. Oregon has seen an increase in its total homeless population consistently every year since 2010. In last three years specifically Oregon has seen a 98.5% increase 2021-2022, 22.5% increase 2020-2021, and a 13.1% increase 2019-2020. [3]
Homeless people have found themselves unwelcome near businesses in Portland. [4] Some of the complaints given are that homeless people 'scare customers away'; 'are too noisy'; and that 'they block the way'. [5] [6] A city ordinance called 'sidewalk obstruction ordinance' was an ordinance which homeless advocates complained "criminalizes homelessness". [4] This was however, quashed by a judge's decision in 2009. [4] This decision left the police and business owners with disorderly conduct which the police chief said comes with the difficulty of proving intent and finding witnesses. [4]
In Portland, the local government took efforts in trying to become a zero-homeless city, which failed to meet its mission. [7] This is through a 10-year plan which they proposed in 2005 which states that they would move people into affordable housing rather than moving them to temporary shelters. [8]
Illegal camps have been growing in and around Portland since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic. Some of those have become a public safety and health concerns. [9] One of the leading complaints about transient camps in Portland has been the used hypodermic needles on the ground which has been worsening as city suspended cleanups during the pandemic. [10] Businesses in Old Town Chinatown have voiced concerns about the increasing number of tents [9] A business owner and Old Town Chinatown neighborhood board member interviewed by The Oregonian said the number of tents have grown significantly since the pandemic and have heard from his customers that they don't feel comfortable visiting the area. [11] Many tents on the streets originated from Multnomah County. Between June 2020 and September 2022, the county spent $1.6 million to purchase 22,700 tents to hand out and $416,052 to buy 69,514 tarps to hand out. COVID-19 relief funds was used for this. [12]
Multiple news outlet reported on the city auditor's report on the city's handling of illegal campsite clean ups by the Homelessness/Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program. [13] [14] [15] Since 2015, the City of Portland implemented a streamlined campsite complaint intake. City contractors then removed tents, items and other items and stored them. The database was to prioritize cleanup based on "biohazards, garbage and other factors, such as whether campers are aggressive or openly using drugs". The Oregonian summarized that the auditors found little evidence prioritization was occurring and no clear indication of what criteria were invoked in selecting which camps are to be removed or not removed and auditors documented the city often ignored hundreds of complaints made by residents. The newspaper commented "That non-response doesn’t comport with the crackdown on illegal camping instituted by Mayor Ted Wheeler earlier in his term." The audit conducted in summer and fall of 2018 reported that the city needed to improve communications to illegal campers as well as complainants. [16] The auditor recommends providing complainants with a status update. In 2019, the city announced they intend to do that with a new app that helps people "better record and understand HUCIRP" [17] As of June 2020, the status update for reporting party has yet to be implemented per city's own status update. [18]
In October 2022, Mayor Wheeler addressed the homeless crisis in Portland again, noting how it is "nothing short of a humanitarian catastrophe". He addressed how the homeless population should be moved to the resources that would benefit them the most. The most current resolution plan for the homeless crisis in Portland is to establish three large designated camping sites. Mayor Wheeler is hoping to begin this resolution no later than 18 months after the funding is confirmed.
These designated camping areas would be able to serve approximately 125 people and would "provide access to services such as food, hygiene, litter collection and treatment for mental health and substance abuse". [19]
Safe Rest Villages are shelter solutions designed to provide improved opportunities for individuals in Portland who are transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. [20] While the program primarily focuses on offering alternative outdoor shelters, it also oversees Portland's inaugural RV Safe Park. Each Safe Rest Village incorporates comprehensive case management services, including wraparound support for behavioral and mental health needs.
Safe Rest Villages are distinct from unmanaged camping sites or ad hoc tent and vehicle encampments, as they specifically address the challenges associated with unmanaged camping. [21] The concept revolves around the establishment of low-barrier tiny homes, and currently, there are seven villages strategically located throughout the city, ensuring accessibility across various neighborhoods. [22]
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Deschutes County, Oregon is currently experiencing a large population growth. As of 2022, there are roughly 1,286 homeless people in Deschutes county. This is a 17% increase from 2021. The Emergency Houselessness Task Force has developed a crisis plan in hope to decrease these numbers. [23] [24]
Between 2013 and February 2019, the police department has seen a 60% increase in "unwanted person" complaints. [25] Homeless represent 3% of population while representing 52% of arrests. [26]
The Oregon Bottle Bill is a container-deposit legislation enacted in the U.S. state of Oregon in 1971 that went into effect in October 1972. It was the first such legislation in the United States. It was amended in 2007 and 2011. It requires applicable beverages in applicable sizes in glass, plastic or metal cans or bottles sold in Oregon to be returnable with a minimum refund value. The refund value was initially 5 cents until April 1, 2017, when it increased to 10 cents. The Oregon Legislature has given the Oregon Liquor Control Commission the authority to administer and enforce the Bottle Bill. Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC), a private cooperative owned by retailers and beverage distributors, administers the collection and transportation of returned containers and keeps all the unclaimed deposits. Materials from returned containers are sold by the OBRC and proceeds are handed out to beverage distributors. In 2022, the bottle bill was expanded to include canned wine, which will become eligible for redemption on July 1, 2025.
Metro is the regional government for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area, covering portions of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties. It is the only directly elected regional government and metropolitan planning organization in the United States. Metro is responsible for overseeing the Portland region's solid waste system, general planning of land use and transportation, maintaining certain regional parks and natural areas, and operating the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Convention Center, Portland's Centers for the Arts, and the Portland Expo Center. It also distributes money from two voter-approved tax measures: one for homeless services and one for affordable housing.
Samuel Francis Adams is an American politician in Portland, Oregon. Adams was mayor of Portland from 2009 to 2012 and previously served on the Portland City Council and as chief of staff to former Mayor Vera Katz. Adams was the first openly gay mayor of a large U.S. city.
Dignity Village is a city-recognized legal encampment of an estimated 60 homeless people in Portland, Oregon, United States. In the days before Christmas of 2000, a group of individuals living outdoors in Portland established a tent city. It evolved from a group of self-described "outsiders" squatting a city owned land to a self-regulating, city-recognized campground as defined by Portland city code. The encampment is located on land near Portland International Airport, and has elected community officials and constructed crude but functional cooking, social, electric, and sanitary facilities.
Laurelhurst is a neighborhood of vintage homes and undulating streets surrounding a park of the same name, straddling the NE and SE sections of Portland. Stone markers flank the entrances to the area. The center of the neighborhood, Coe Circle, contains a gilded equestrian statue of Joan of Arc, which is a World War I war memorial. The Laurelhurst Historic District was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.
The Oregon State Fair is the official state fair of the U.S. state of Oregon. It takes place every August–September at the 185-acre (0.75 km2) Oregon State Fairgrounds located in north Salem, the state capital, as it has almost every year since 1862. In 2006, responsibility for running the fair was delegated to the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department, and the division is now known as the Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center (OSFEC), which holds events on the fairgrounds year-round.
The government of Portland, Oregon is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include the mayor, commissioners, and a city auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible for legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that oversee the day-to-day operation of the city. Portland began using a commission form of government in 1913 following a public vote on May 3 of that year. Each elected official serves a four-year term, without term limits. Each city council member is elected at-large.
L. L. "Stub" Stewart Memorial State Park is a 1,654-acre (669 ha) Oregon state park in Washington County near the community of Buxton. When the park opened in 2007 it was the first new full-service state park in Oregon since 1972. The park includes hiking trails, mountain bike trails, horseback riding, RV and tent campsites, and cabins among other amenities. Located off Oregon Route 47 in the foothills of the Northern Oregon Coast Range, the park connects to the Banks–Vernonia State Trail.
Street Roots is a Portland, Oregon, United States based homeless advocacy group and a weekly alternative newspaper that covers homeless issues. The newsprint is sold by and for the homeless in Portland. The paper is published every week and sold through vendors who are currently or formerly homeless.The paper's editorial position is homeless advocacy. Vendors purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell them for $1 and keep the difference of 75 cents. The paper features alternative news, interviews, and poetry written by local journalists as well as the homeless and those who work with them.
Delta Park is a public municipal park complex in north Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Delta Park is composed of two distinct sections referred to as East and West Delta Park. The Owens Sports Complex is a notable attraction of East Delta Park, bringing teams from across the West Coast to compete in an array of sports. For local Oregonians, homelessness and a past Proud Boys rally distinguish East Delta Park and the Owens Sports Complex from other parks in the Portland area.
Right 2 Dream Too is a self-managed homeless encampment in Portland, Oregon incorporated as a nonprofit organization. The initial encampment was set up in October, 2011 on private property in Old Town Chinatown at Northwest 4th Avenue and West Burnside Street. The camp had permission from the property owner, but it was not authorized by the city. Right 2 Survive, the encampment's parent group and founder, organized an overnight shelter run by other homeless.
Deborah Kafoury is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon.
On Tuesday, May 17, 2016, an election was held in Portland, Oregon, to elect the mayor. Ted Wheeler was elected after garnering 54% of the primary vote. Incumbent mayor Charlie Hales did not seek a second term.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon on February 28, 2020.
The Portland city auditor is one of the six citywide elected positions in Portland, Oregon. The auditor is the only elected official functionally independent of City Council and accountable only to the public. The auditor exists "to promote open and accountable government by providing independent and impartial reviews, access to public information, and services for City government and the public." The current auditor, since January 2023, is Simone Rede.
We Heart Seattle (WHS), formerly We Heart Downtown Seattle and incorporated as I Heart Downtown Seattle, is a volunteer organization responding to trash and homelessness in Seattle. The group organizes volunteer trash cleanups in public parks in which homeless people have established camps, primarily through a public Facebook group and Facebook events.
The U.S. city of Minneapolis featured officially and unofficially designated camp sites in city parks for people experiencing homelessness that operated from June 10, 2020, to January 7, 2021. The emergence of encampments on public property in Minneapolis was the result of pervasive homelessness, mitigations measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota, local unrest after the murder of George Floyd, and local policies that permitted encampments. At its peak in the summer of 2020, there were thousands of people camping at dozens of park sites across the city. Many of the encampment residents came from outside of Minneapolis to live in the parks. By the end of the permit experiment, four people had died in the city's park encampments, including the city's first homicide victim of 2021, who was stabbed to death inside a tent at Minnehaha Park on January 3, 2021.
Rose City Book Pub is a bookstore and bar in Portland, Oregon. Owner Elise Schumock started the business in 2018. It was described as the only business of its kind in the city in 2022.
Hazelnut Grove is an organized homeless community located in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2015, and since its inception, has survived several attempts to disband or relocate the community. It is recognized and supported by the city government.
Portland's 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness failed to fulfill its stated mission.