Question 10: unhoused/Homeless Portlanders

"This is the core challenge we have to get right and get it right now!" My goal is to cut the number of people sleeping on the streets in half by the beginning of 2026. One of the things we've gotten right is creating a model for transitional shelter that works. We now have the Safe Rest Villages and Temporary Alternative Shelter (TAS) sites, and we've set up over 600 tiny houses across the city.

The significance of this is that every time we make contact with someone and ask them to remove their camp, we can offer them real shelter, paired with wraparound services. We’re discovering that within about three months of entering these shelter sites, many folks begin to stabilize and are ready to move into supportive housing.

If we have 660 beds and can turn them over three to four times a year, that alone gets us most of the way to cutting homelessness in half. However, we also need rental vouchers from the county to help people transition out of these villages and into permanent housing. Unfortunately, the county has struggled to provide what’s needed, despite seemingly having the funding to do so.

As mayor, I plan to have some hard conversations. I want to ensure we address this issue directly and immediately, making sure every contact results in either a shelter offer or a warm handoff to county services. The key element there - I need a partner at the county who is ready and able to serve our vulnerable neighbors.