Homelessness in Oregon jumps 35% in new count
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The number of people experiencing homelessness, and the number of shelter beds available to them, both grew in Oregon last year, per a new report from Portland State University.
The big picture: The Point-in-Time count — a biannual census conducted on a single night last January — found more than 27,000 people experiencing homelessness in Oregon in 2025, a 35% increase from the last tally.
- The dramatic increase is due in part to economic insecurity and a lack of affordable housing, but also due to better data collection techniques, especially in Multnomah County, the report's authors said.
By the numbers: Of those 27,000 homeless, more than 60% were unsheltered, meaning they were living in places not meant for habitation, like on sidewalks or in cars.
- In Multnomah County, 10,526 people were experiencing homelessness, with more than 65% of them living unsheltered.
Yes, but: Oregon also dramatically increased its response to homelessness, adding more than 3,000 shelter beds across the state, a 39% increase in capacity.
- Multnomah County has more than 4,000 shelter beds, up by more than 850 since the last count in 2023.
- That's in part because of an aggressive push by Mayor Keith Wilson to open more overnight beds in the city.
Context: Nationwide numbers are usually released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in December, but data has yet to be produced.
- "This year, we are uncertain if HUD will produce that data, making Oregon one of the few states to have this important information," said Marisa Zapata, director of Portland State's Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative, which produced the report.
- Oregon has ranked among the worst states for homelessness rates, but without national numbers, there's no way to compare this year.
What they're saying: "Our collective efforts have increased the number of people who have access to shelter by nearly 50%," Megan Bolton, assistant director of research at Oregon Housing and Community Services, said in a statement.
- "However, we are continuing to see the number of people experiencing homelessness increase due to multiple factors, including economic stressors and affordable housing shortages."
What we're watching: Wilson said the next step in his plan to end homelessness is to increase the number of affordable housing units, and he recently called for 20,000 additional units in Portland over the next eight years.