Report #5: Behavioral Health and Drug Addiction..The Ignored Stepchild of Homeless Services

Report #5: Behavioral Health and Drug Addiction..The Ignored Stepchild of Homeless Services Various numbers have been reported that claim to total the spending on homelessness in Multnomah County.  They include the costs of shelters, clean-ups, supported housing, street outreach, and similar services.  But they do not include the cost of treating addiction and mental illness […]

Report #4: Further Thoughts on the Spending on Homelessness in Multnomah County

Report #4: Further Thoughts on the Spending on Homelessness in Multnomah County A recent report by ECOnorthwest calculated that the 3-county Tri-County region (Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties) spent $724mm on homelessness in FY2024, of which $501mm was spent in Multnomah County.    FY 2024 homelessness spending breakdown across Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties by […]

Report #3: Shelter, Housing Assistance, and Supportive Housing

Report #3: Shelter, Housing Assistance, and Supportive Housing The city and county fund various shelter and housing programs to reduce homelessness. In general, the data provided to evaluate these programs is missing, incomplete, contradictory, or confusing.  Nevertheless, in this report we try to distinguish between the major types and attempt a cost-benefit analysis.  We welcome […]

Report #2: A Flood of Money/A Dysfunctional System

Report #2: A Flood of Money/A Dysfunctional System From the table below, we can see that Portland and Multnomah County spend a huge amount on the homeless, over $800 million of direct costs per year.   And this does not include the indirect costs of homelessness: to the courts and jails, the costs imposed on small businesses, tourism, […]

Report #1: Ending Homelessness Requires Good Data

Report #1: Ending Homelessness Requires Good Data We have not had timely or reliable data on our homeless situation. Even the number of people experiencing homelessness in the county was not known until recently. The January, 2023 Point-in-Time count reported 6,300 homeless people. Using the county’s By-Name-List, they reported 11,135 in January, 2024. Only in […]