Report #14 Why Portland Needs the Five Principles and Accountability Criteria
Report #14 Why Portland Needs the Five Principles and Accountability Criteria A framework for moving from managing homelessness to measurable results Introduction Portland and Multnomah County do not lack compassion, effort, or money. What they lack is a disciplined system that connects those resources to measurable outcomes. For years, our region has added programs, contracts, […]
Report #13 ACCOUNTABILITY: Measuring Activities OR Results?
Report #13 ACCOUNTABILITY: MEASURING ACTIVITIES OR RESULTS? Accountability is a foundational principle in governance and organizational management. It can be defined as the obligation of individuals or institutions to explain, justify, and answer for their actions, decisions, and use of resources. It means being responsible for one’s conduct and facing consequences when expectations are not […]
Report #12 TURNING THE TIDE Reducing the Number of the Homeless
Reality: Inflow Exceeds Outflow Despite immense spending, the Homeless Services Department’s (HSD’s) monthly dashboard reveals a sobering trend. During 2025, the number of people falling into homelessness consistently exceeded those exiting the system. On average, 295 more individuals became homeless each month than those who found a way out. In 2025, an average of 1,467 […]
Report #11 CityTeam’s Integrated Program for the Homeless
Previous reports addressed shortcomings of many homeless response programs in the city and county. This report highlights a program that receives no money from the city or county but succeeds in helping the homeless recover and become self-sufficient at remarkably low cost. CityTeam runs four major programs in Portland: 1) Community of Hope, a residential […]
Report #10 Outreach: the first crucial step
Report #10 Outreach: the first crucial step Principle #2: “Consistent policies, procedures, and data input must be implemented across all outreach efforts. At first contact, outreach workers should introduce individuals to a Service Coordinator Specialist (SCS) to identify their needs, the services and programs available to them, and to chart a path to recovery.” The Homeless […]
Report #9 How (not) to Measure Accountability
Report #9 How (not) to Measure Accountability Multnomah County funds 48 shelters. A standard management technique when you have many different entities providing similar services is to identify, analyze, and spread best practices. This improves the overall performance of the system and enhances accountability. Broadly speaking, if you have 100 operating entities providing similar […]
Report #8: Unified Leadership: Prerequisite for a Successful Homeless Policy
Report #8: Unified Leadership: Prerequisite for a Successful Homeless Policy Unified leadership is a simple and well-tested principle necessary for success. Multiple leaders and uncoordinated management lead to incoherence in strategy, duplication of effort, gaps in practice, and a resultant waste of resources. Unfortunately, adherence to this basic principle is completely lacking in the response […]
Report #7: Can Housing First Beat Fentanyl, Meth, and Psychoses? The Crisis of Chronic Homelessness and the Case for Heterodox Housing Policy
Report #7: Can Housing First Beat Fentanyl, Meth, and Psychoses? The Crisis of Chronic Homelessness and the Case for Heterodox Housing Policy George Galster, Hilberry Professor of Urban Affairs and Distinguished Professor, emeritus Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 Residence: Portland, OR 97209 The Growing Crisis of Chronic Homelessness […]
Engaged Social Housing: Sustainable Models for Housing and Clinical Services in Supportive Housing
Engaged Social Housing: Sustainable Models for Housing and Clinical Services in Supportive Housing Executive Summary Excerpt The Portland, Oregon metro region continues to face a persistent and worsening crisis of street and unsheltered homelessness fueled by: A chronic shortage of deeply affordable and permanent supportive housing (PSH). Large, core populations with high prevalence […]
Report #6: Review of CCC’s Engaged Social Housing
Report #6: Review of CCC’s Engaged Social Housing On September 10, 2025, Central City Concern (CCC), the largest provider of homeless services in Multnomah County, published a paper titled “Engaged Social Housing: Sustainable Models for Housing and Clinical Services in Supportive Housing.” It is a 25-page study detailing shortcomings in Multnomah County’s implementation of the […]