Joint Office of Homeless Services records increase in new housing placements

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — A new report from the Joint Office of Homeless Services shows a 21% increase in the number of unsheltered residents who have been placed in housing.

The office presented its Year-End Report at a Multnomah County board meeting on Tuesday. Data show 5,477 people county-wide have secured new housing thus far in Fiscal Year 2024, which lasts from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 28, 2024.

In the previous fiscal year, there were 4,266 housing placements.

Of the placements this year, JOHS Deputy Director Anna Plumb said 58.3% of them included community members who are people of color. She noted this demographic is more likely to experience homelessness than others, despite being a smaller proportion of the overall population in the county.

“It is [an] extreme value and focus of the Joint Office to reduce those disparities, serve people equitably and make sure we are reducing the disproportionate nature of folks experiencing homelessness, particularly among people of color,” Plumb added. “One way to do that is to serve people above or at proportion of the relevant population.”

The Joint Office also tracks how many people were still in the rapid rehousing program 12 months after they stopped receiving rent assistance. Officials have recorded about 87% retention among this group.

Overall, JOHS reported it served 9,101 people in its shelters — a 30% increase from 6,905 people served in FY 2023.

About 46.2% of these community members are Black and Indigenous people of color. Plumb said that is a proportionate amount when compared to Multnomah County’s general population, but the organization plans to build on that to address the disparity in who receives resources.

The department will have a remaining balance of about $128 million by the end of the fiscal year and has already set aside $15 million for safety programs next year.

With a remaining $113 million balance for FY 2025, JOHS will focus on adding shelter units, expanding permanent supportive housing and more.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.