Report #10 Outreach: the first crucial step
Report #10 Outreach: the first crucial step Principle #2: “Consistent policies, procedures, and data input must be implemented across all outreach efforts. At first contact, outreach workers should introduce individuals to a Service Coordinator Specialist (SCS) to identify their needs, the services and programs available to them, and to chart a path to recovery.” The Homeless […]
Report #9 How (not) to Measure Accountability
Report #9 How (not) to Measure Accountability Multnomah County funds 48 shelters. A standard management technique when you have many different entities providing similar services is to identify, analyze, and spread best practices. This improves the overall performance of the system and enhances accountability. Broadly speaking, if you have 100 operating entities providing similar […]
Report #8: Unified Leadership: Prerequisite for a Successful Homeless Policy
Report #8: Unified Leadership: Prerequisite for a Successful Homeless Policy Unified leadership is a simple and well-tested principle necessary for success. Multiple leaders and uncoordinated management lead to incoherence in strategy, duplication of effort, gaps in practice, and a resultant waste of resources. Unfortunately, adherence to this basic principle is completely lacking in the response […]
Report #7: Can Housing First Beat Fentanyl, Meth, and Psychoses? The Crisis of Chronic Homelessness and the Case for Heterodox Housing Policy
Report #7: Can Housing First Beat Fentanyl, Meth, and Psychoses? The Crisis of Chronic Homelessness and the Case for Heterodox Housing Policy George Galster, Hilberry Professor of Urban Affairs and Distinguished Professor, emeritus Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 Residence: Portland, OR 97209 The Growing Crisis of Chronic Homelessness […]
Engaged Social Housing: Sustainable Models for Housing and Clinical Services in Supportive Housing
Engaged Social Housing: Sustainable Models for Housing and Clinical Services in Supportive Housing Executive Summary Excerpt The Portland, Oregon metro region continues to face a persistent and worsening crisis of street and unsheltered homelessness fueled by: A chronic shortage of deeply affordable and permanent supportive housing (PSH). Large, core populations with high prevalence […]
Report #6: Review of CCC’s Engaged Social Housing
Report #6: Review of CCC’s Engaged Social Housing On September 10, 2025, Central City Concern (CCC), the largest provider of homeless services in Multnomah County, published a paper titled “Engaged Social Housing: Sustainable Models for Housing and Clinical Services in Supportive Housing.” It is a 25-page study detailing shortcomings in Multnomah County’s implementation of the […]
Report #5: Behavioral Health and Drug Addiction..The Ignored Stepchild of Homeless Services
Report #5: Behavioral Health and Drug Addiction..The Ignored Stepchild of Homeless Services Various numbers have been reported that claim to total the spending on homelessness in Multnomah County. They include the costs of shelters, clean-ups, supported housing, street outreach, and similar services. But they do not include the cost of treating addiction and mental illness […]
Report #4: Further Thoughts on the Spending on Homelessness in Multnomah County
Report #4: Further Thoughts on the Spending on Homelessness in Multnomah County A recent report by ECOnorthwest calculated that the 3-county Tri-County region (Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties) spent $724mm on homelessness in FY2024, of which $501mm was spent in Multnomah County. FY 2024 homelessness spending breakdown across Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties by […]
Sharon Meieran’s Approach to Homelessness in Multnomah County
Sharon Meieran’s Approach to Homelessness in Multnomah County Executive Summary – Proposed Strategy, Recommendations, and Red Flags The Problem Homelessness is the biggest crisis facing Multnomah County. However, despite constant headlines, billions of dollars, and immeasurable amounts of time and energy spent on plans to “end homelessness”, meaningful goals and ways to achieve them have […]
Report #3: Shelter, Housing Assistance, and Supportive Housing
Report #3: Shelter, Housing Assistance, and Supportive Housing The city and county fund various shelter and housing programs to reduce homelessness. In general, the data provided to evaluate these programs is missing, incomplete, contradictory, or confusing. Nevertheless, in this report we try to distinguish between the major types and attempt a cost-benefit analysis. We welcome […]