A comprehensive Housing First plan that costs less than what we're spending now — backed by data, proven in other cities, and ready to implement.
456 people died unsheltered on Portland's streets in 2023.
Portland's ULI Investment Ranking collapsed from #3 in 2017 to #80 out of 81 cities in 2024.
Multnomah County's homeless population has grown from 3,800 to 6,297 people — a 66% increase.
456 people died on Portland's streets in 2023 — up from 89 in 2018, a 412% increase.
Portland's downtown office vacancy rate is 34.6%. Retail vacancy is 32%. The US Bancorp Tower ("Big Pink") lost 88% of its value — from $373M to $45M.
Portland spends $350M per year across 9 agencies with no unified strategy — and the crisis keeps getting worse.
Fragmented Authority: 9 agencies, 3 counties, no single point of accountability. No one is in charge.
Managing vs. Solving: We fund shelters and cleanups instead of permanent housing. We're managing homelessness, not ending it.
The Drug Crisis: Fentanyl changed the equation. But Housing First still works — you can't recover from addiction on a sidewalk.
The Doom Loop: Visible homelessness drives away residents and businesses, which reduces the tax base, which reduces funding for solutions.
Political Paralysis: Left says "more services." Right says "more enforcement." Neither alone has ever worked anywhere.
Housing First is not "housing only." It's the proven strategy of providing stable housing as the first step, then wrapping services around people. It works because you can't address mental health, addiction, or employment while living on the street.
Short-term rental assistance + case management for people who are newly homeless or have lower barriers. Average cost: $12,000 per person per year. Success rate: 85% remain housed after 2 years.
Long-term subsidized housing with on-site services for chronically homeless individuals with disabilities, mental health conditions, or addiction. Average cost: $23,500 per person per year. Success rate: 90% remain housed.
Emergency rental assistance, legal aid for evictions, and targeted outreach to keep people from becoming homeless in the first place. Average cost: $5,000 per household. Prevention is 10x cheaper than intervention.
Annual plan cost: $280M — compared to $350M+ currently spent on fragmented, ineffective approaches.
It costs $50,000/year to leave someone on the street (ER visits at $3,400 average, jail at $118/day, police calls, shelter cycling). Housing First costs $23,500/year — a 53% cost reduction.
Over 10 years, every dollar invested returns $3–$15 in economic value through reduced emergency costs, recovered tax revenue, and downtown revival.
Months 1-6: Establish unified command structure, audit current spending, identify first 500 housing units.
Months 7-12: Begin rapid rehousing placements, launch prevention program, break ground on first PSH project.
Year 2: Scale to 1,500 placements per year, open first new PSH buildings, measure and publish results.
Year 3-4: Reach full operational capacity, functional zero for veterans and chronically homeless.
Year 5-6: Measurable reduction in street homelessness, downtown recovery visible, shift budget from crisis to prevention.
Year 7-10: Sustained low homelessness, system shifts to primarily prevention, Portland becomes a national model.
This plan won't solve everything. It won't fix the national housing shortage overnight. It won't end addiction or mental illness. It requires political will that Portland has historically lacked. But it is the approach with the strongest evidence, and it has worked in every city that has seriously tried it.
Houston, Texas: 63% reduction in homelessness. 30,000+ people housed. 90% stay housed. The largest documented reduction of any major US city.
Finland: The only country in Europe where homelessness is declining. Reduced homelessness by 40% using a national Housing First approach.
Denver, Colorado: Social Impact Bond program showed 34% reduction in jail nights, 40% reduction in ER visits. Investors were repaid from savings.
Medicine Hat, Canada: First city in North America to reach functional zero homelessness. Population 63,000. Proved it can work at city scale.
Add your name to support Portland's Housing First plan. Contact your city councilors, county commissioners, and state legislators. Share this plan with your community.
Portland City Council Districts: District 1 (Candace Avalos, Jamie Dunphy, Loretta Smith), District 2 (Dan Ryan, Elana Pirtle-Guiney, Sameer Kanal), District 3 (Angelita Morillo, Steve Novick, Tiffany Koyama Lane), District 4 (Eric Zimmerman, Mitch Green, Olivia Clark).