Homelessness and Housing: Information and Resources

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Quick Facts About Homelessness

  • There are 4,177 people experiencing homeless on any given night in Multnomah County
  • Of those 4,177 people, 1,688 are physically sleeping on the streets or in their cars
  • Of those 4,177 people, 757 are in transitional housing
  • Of those 4,177 people, 1,752 are sleeping in shelters
  • Adult homeless population by gender: 61.3% male, 36.2% female, 1.1% transgender, 1.4% other
  • About 15% of the total homeless population is families with children
  • 30.8% of the overall homeless population is chronically homeless
  • Adult homeless population by race: 70.7% white, 10.2% Latino, 2.6% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 16.2% Black/African American, 1.4% Asian, 10.2% American Indian/Alaska Native

    • For more detailed information, read the full 2017 Multnomah County Homeless Point-in-Time Count here.

    Housing Affordability

    In Portland, the average one-bedroom apartment is more than $1,100 per month, according to data from Multifamily NW. That number has grown 20 times faster than the median income since 2015. More than 18,000 people in Multnomah County rely on federal disability checks of $735 per month. For those making minimum wage, these rent increases have made it much more difficult to afford an apartment in our community.

    According to research from Oregon Housing and Community Services, there are 123,000 very low-income renters in Multnomah County – folks who are making 0-30% of Median Family Income. In contrast, there are only 59,000 units (apartments) that are affordable to that income range. That means that over 60,000 people are literally not able to find an apartment they can afford.For the past four years, JOIN has been an instrumental part of the critical advocacy efforts of the Welcome Home Coalition, including the passage of the Yes for Affordable Homes bond last fall. For more information about some exciting new developments on the near horizon, visit Portland’s Housing Bond website here.