Oregon — Governor Tina Kotek announced more than $102 million in new Statewide Shelter Program funding for 22 regional coordinators across Oregon, expanding emergency shelters, rehousing programs, outreach, and stabilization services even as statewide homelessness continues to grow.
The $102,459,326 in competitive awards, administered by Oregon Housing and Community Services, comes following new data from Portland State University’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative shows Oregon’s homelessness crisis has worsened overall during Kotek’s time in office despite major gains in shelter capacity.
According to PSU’s 2025 statewide homelessness report, Oregon counted 27,119 people experiencing homelessness during the January 2025 Point-in-Time count, an increase from 2023 even as the state added 3,094 year-round shelter beds, boosting shelter capacity by 39%. The number of sheltered individuals increased by 49.3%, with 10,607 people staying in shelters on the night of the count, but 16,512 people remained unsheltered. Kotek announced a state of emergency for homelessness shortly after coming into office, the intervening 4 years have seen a consistent rise in homelessness as the state has continued to pour in additional funding.
Researchers said the increase reflects a combination of rising housing insecurity, high rents, expanded shelter infrastructure, and improved counting methods, particularly in Multnomah County, where additional data sources significantly raised the unsheltered count.
“This program gives communities flexibility to successfully address their unique local needs,” Kotek said in announcing the shelter awards. Oregon’s shelter system now supports more than 5,000 shelter beds through the state program, and the governor’s office says state efforts have helped rehouse 5,539 people since she took office, with another 1,500 households projected to be rehoused by the end of her first term.
Still, PSU researchers cautioned that shelter growth alone is not keeping pace with broader demand driven by affordable housing shortages and economic pressure.
“High rents and economic pressure are continuing to drive these numbers up, but we also have an expanded ability to bring people inside,” said HRAC Director Marisa Zapata.
The report also found 21,122 Oregon students experienced homelessness during the 2024-25 school year, while racial disparities remain severe, with American Indian, Alaska Native, and Indigenous Oregonians experiencing homelessness at nearly seven times their share of the state population.
The new state funding, shaped by recommendations from the Sustainable Shelter Work Group convened in 2024, reflects Oregon’s dual-track strategy of expanding immediate shelter access while attempting longer-term housing stabilization, though the latest data underscores that homelessness growth continues to outpace current interventions.
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And yet they are CLOSING DOWN SHELTERS IN PORNLAND THIS IS THE GRIFTING WORKING JUST LIKE MINNESOTA, CALIFORNIA AND MAINE, OHIO! COME ON WAKE THE FVCK UP. WE SEE IT EVERYDAY MORE SHELTERS CLOSING FOR GRIFTING OR NO PEOPLE GOING TO THEM SO NOW SHE\’S ALLOCATING MORE TAX PAYERS MONEY? 🤔🤔