page_title: Homelessness in Oregon
section_title: Portland
hierarchical_section_title: Homelessness in Oregon / Portland
caption_attribution_description: English: Transient encampment in Northeast Portland.
context_page_description: In 2016, a report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that the U.S. state of Oregon had an estimated homeless population of 13,238 with about 60.5% of these people still unsheltered. 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, and 3,387 are individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
  Businesses have begun to make it known that they are not accepting the presence of homeless people around their businesses regardless of the circumstances these people are in. Some of the complaints given are that homeless people 'scare customers away'; 'they are too noisy'; and 'they block the way' just to name a few complaints. A city ordinance called 'sidewalk obstruction ordinance' was an ordinance which homeless advocates complained "criminalizes homelessness". This was however, quashed by a judge's decision in 2009.
context_section_description: In Portland, the local government took efforts in trying to become a zero-homeless city, which failed to meet its mission. 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.
  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. 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. Businesses in Old Town Chinatown have voiced concerns about the increasing number of tents 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.
caption: An illegal transient encampment by a substation in Lloyd District neighborhood of Portland in 2020.
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