Gov. Tina Kotek addresses path forward for homeless crisis Thursday

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek addressed the ongoing homelessness crisis in a press conference Thursday morning as parts of the state continue their struggle to house unsheltered residents.

“Anytime the government or my office puts out numbers and says, ‘Here’s the progress we’re making,’ I think it’s important for people to see that,” Kotek said. “It shows what is possible when we set goals, we have plans in place, and we make investments to reach those goals.”

Earlier Thursday morning, Gov. Kotek’s office shared goals for the end of 2025, including 1,700 new shelter beds in Oregon communities and 2,700 people rehoused. Additionally, the office hopes to prevent 24,000 from becoming homeless and produce 25,000 or more affordable housing units.

“I also want to emphasize … This is not a victory lap. This is not a mission accomplished moment. This is a progress point,” she said.

In Multnomah County, data recently revealed that at least 5,400 people county-wide had secured new housing in Fiscal Year 2024 — which ran from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 28, 2024.

This number represented a 21% increase in Mulntomah County residents who were placed in housing , according to the Joint Office of Homeless Services. The previous fiscal year saw roughly 4,200 housing placements.

That announcement followed the City of Portland and Multnomah County’s recent decision to continue funding the joint office with the hope of cutting the homeless population in half within two years.

However, the agreement also granted city leaders the ability to opt out of the agreement if there is not enough progress by October 2024, giving the JOHS six weeks to prove the efficacy of their work.

Gov. Kotek’s appearance also follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow the City of Grants Pass to enforce a camping ban back in July. In response, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) have urged the Biden administration to invest in affordable housing to address homelessness.

“We have cities who are following the law here in Oregon and doing everything they can to maintain objective standards for where folks can be and also trying to meet the needs of those who need to be in different places when they’re sleeping outside,” Kotek said. “I think it’s important to follow the law. The law states you need to have reasonable executive standards in your community to serve folks who live outside, and my expectations follow the law.”

Across the United States, homelessness increased by 23% in 2023. In Oregon alone, researchers estimated there were approximately 20,100 people experiencing homelessness , and at least 64% were unsheltered.

The governor’s appearance is scheduled for Oct. 3 at 11:30 a.m.

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