Every year Multnomah County and the City of Portland volunteers and outreach workers combine efforts to do a comprehensive “point in time” count of children and adults experiencing homelessness. This year the count occurred on February 22, 2017, and revealed that “11.6 fewer people” were sleeping without shelter. It is believed that this is the result of the community’s “investment in rent assistance, housing placements and more than 600 new shelter beds.”
“In the Portland area, the average one-bedroom apartment now rents for more than $1,100 a month.“ Rents have grown 20 times faster than the median income since 2015, leaving minimum wage earners with little to cover other expenses.
In addition, more than 18,000 people in Multnomah County rely on federal disability checks that top out at $735 a month.
For more information, email ahomeforeveryone.net