Oregon ranks high as homelessness rises nationwide, federal report says
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A new report by federal officials says homelessness is on the rise nationwide, up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people. It's the highest recorded since reporting began in 2007.
On a single night in January, this tally is taken across the country, finding Oregon has some of the highest levels of homelessness.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says 48 out of 10,000 Oregonians are experiencing homelessness.
"Looking back to the beginning of this year - certainly January when the count was taken - we were slammed at Blanchet House," the shelter's Executive Director Scott Kerman recalled.
At 66%, Oregon is one of three states - including Hawaii and California - where more than two-thirds of the homeless are unsheltered. For example, sleeping in cars, parks or on the streets.
The report also notes that Oregon frequently reports the highest rate of unsheltered families in the nation, saying almost six in ten families experiencing homelessness did so outdoors last year. Additionally, the number of people in homeless families increased by 16% from the previous year.
"We often refer to family houselessness and youth houselessness as invisible homelessness, because we don't always see them," Kerman added. "They're not necessarily in tents at the side of the road or sleeping on sidewalks for obvious reasons. Those would be extremely unsafe for families. We're definitely seeing more families come to Blanchet House than we did before the pandemic."
Veterans are another demographic hurting in Oregon.
"The conversations often revolve around the sort of the trauma of their experiences when they were serving and the lack of resources and benefits when they came back to America," Kerman noted.
Since 2009, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness has increased in only four states including Oregon (298 more veterans), Vermont (61 veterans), Utah (15 veterans) and Montana (1 veteran).
As Oregon outnumbers other states by the hundreds, Multnomah County officials say they need more federal dollars.
"It's almost unconscionable that you can serve your country and your country doesn't take care of you in the way that it needs to and it falls to local government to do it," voiced Deputy Communications Director Denis Theriault.
The report further shows rural areas suffering, as more people have lost housing because of climate events such as extreme wildfires, flooding in the coastal areas and heavy snowstorms.
In urban areas, while reporting shows an increase of in shelter capacity in last year, the shortage of affordable housing continues the cycle of homelessness.
Among the efforts to address these numbers, Multnomah County recently approved funding for a new village-style shelter in Southeast Portland which will house 38 tiny home pods. This will add to Portland’s portfolio of nearly 3,000 shelter beds.