Oregon – New statewide homelessness data released this month show a mix of measurable progress and persistent challenges, prompting Governor Tina Kotek to reaffirm Oregon’s homelessness emergency and the need for continued, coordinated action.
The Point-in-Time census, put together by the Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative at Portland State University, shows that fewer of the state’s most vulnerable citizens are living without shelter. Since 2023, the number of families with kids living without a house has reduced by 40%, while the overall rate of homelessness without a home in the state has dropped by 4%.
At the same time, getting into shelters has become much easier. Almost 50% more individuals are staying in shelters as emergency response operations continue to work.
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Even with those improvements, the numbers still reveal that the total number of people in Oregon who are homeless has gone up. State authorities say this shows that there remains a lack of enough homes, the economy continues to be weak, and better ways of collecting data are giving a more realistic picture of need.
Governor Kotek said that the results show both progress and urgency. She noted that the state needs to keep working on techniques that are working while also filling up the gaps, especially for those who are homeless and also have mental health or addiction issues.
“This data tells us two important things,” Governor Kotek said.
“We are making progress, especially for families with children, and we need to keep doing the work. Last week, I renewed the state of emergency on homelessness to stay the course on what is working and to sharpen our focus on people at the intersection of homelessness and mental health or addiction. There is no question that more work remains.”
Local officials agreed with that message, saying that state funding and local action together may have a big effect. City officials in Bend said that the governor’s emergency order helped stabilize unsheltered homelessness by providing more money and quicker responses.
Leaders in Eugene additionally discussed how a coordinated statewide shelter system would save money and help cities get results that would be hard to get on their own.
The Point-in-Time census, which takes place over the course of one night, counts both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness. It is used all around the country to keep track of trends and help make policy decisions. National data hasn’t been released yet, but Oregon’s results clearly indicate big differences between counties.
More than a third of counties said they had unsheltered homelessness that was the same as or lower than earlier numbers. The paper says that better counting procedures used since 2023 are partly to blame for the change, which happened mostly in Multnomah County.
State officials estimate that emergency measures taken between early 2023 and late 2025 have resulted in thousands of new or maintained shelter beds, thousands of people being moved from living on the streets to homes, and prevention help for tens of thousands of households.
Better data collection has also helped make it clearer where the most aid is needed, which has shaped continued spending as Oregon continues to deal with its homelessness epidemic.
