The Myth That's It's "Easy" to Be Homeless in Portland is Just That: A Myth

Here's why being homeless in Portland is harder than most people know.

Photo by Robin Davidson on Unsplash

The homelessness crisis in the Portland area gets worse every day and residents are increasingly alarmed by the behavior of people experiencing homelessness.

Increased camp sweeps and looming evictions are forcing more and more people onto the streets, and many residents are grappling with what to do to help. Local social media pages on sites like Next Door and Redditt include almost daily posts with people either worried about or angry about a person living on the street whose behavior is disturbing.

And beneath much commentary is the belief that the City of Portland somehow makes it "easy" to be homeless. The reality is much more complex.

Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash

The pandemic has greatly reduced services.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, there were "drop in" day centers where people experiencing homelessness could grab a chair and a meal, hang out for a while, socialize, meet with caseworkers, get a shower, and have a respite from the street.

Due to social distancing and pandemic safety precautions, most homeless day centers have been on limited services for over a year. People are required to be masked and maintain social distancing, and cannot spend time resting in day center space. This forces people to spend even more time on the streets and being exposed to elements. It's also made it harder to get food, gear, or social services.

Additionally, grassroots groups that used to visit camps and parks with food and supplies have ramped down their activities dramatically, making it hard to access consistent meals.

Finally, many people experiencing homelessness supplement their income by collecting cans and bottles and returning them for cash. With most can collection sites closed or reduced, the ability to make money "canning" has dropped dramatically.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

There are shelters available, but they are often full.

Multnomah County's Joint Office of Homeless Services funds 1,400 year-round shelter beds, with added capacity during severe weather events like ice storms or heat. They also provide assistance for about 5,000 people a year to leave homelessness.

In total, the joint county and city efforts to end homelessness include a $150 million investment in shelters, housing services, behavioral health, hygiene, and outreach services. It seems like a lot of money but it's still far less than the need.

When the County last conducted its "Point in Time" count in 2019, the homeless census identified 4,015 people who were experiencing homelessness. Anecdotally, officials believe those numbers are significantly higher now than they were in 2019, but the 2021 census was postponed due to the pandemic so new numbers are not yet available.

The difference between the 4,015 who are homeless and the 1,400 shelter beds explains why people are increasingly living on the streets either camping or living in vehicles. As officials resume their efforts to "sweep" camps that are deemed dangerous, many campers are left with nowhere to go.

Even when shelter beds are available, many homeless individuals will avoid utilizing them due to fears for safety, concerns about their pets or belongings, or resistance to rules at shelters.

Photo by Raphael Nast on Unsplash

Neighbors are treated like strangers.

Homeless people consistently report that people they pass on the street either ignore them or tell them to "go back where you came from". Where they came from is likely Portland, or at least Oregon.

Homeless people are not being bussed to Portland from other cities. Despite common misconceptions, biannual homeless counts over the last twenty years have consistently found that only about 7% of people experiencing homelessness moved to Portland seeking services. The vast majority of people who are homeless were living in the metro area of Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, and Clark Counties before they became homeless.

Photo courtesy of City of Portland

Mental health services are hard to come by.

Many, but not all, people experiencing homelessness struggle with mental illness or addiction. The experience of being homeless will often lead to people developing PTSD, depression, and anxiety, even if they did not have a history of behavioral health challenges before they were homeless.

Drinking or using drugs is a very common way for people to deal with the trauma of being homeless.

In many communities, integrating a mental health response team into the public safety system has helped prevent people in mental health crisis from injury or death. Portland has a local "Street Response" team for this purpose, but unfortunately, it's only funded to operated in the Lents neighborhood right now. Efforts to increase funding for program expansion have so far been unsuccessful.

Photo by Heike Trautmann on Unsplash

Every day you're homeless in Portland is the worst day of your life.

It's impossible to fully describe the trauma experienced by people who are homeless. They are scared. They are hungry. They're exposed to the elements. They're woken up multiple times each night, causing the loss of executive function that happens to anyone who fails to get enough sleep. Their clothes and bodies are dirty. It's hard to find a place to go to the bathroom. They get assaulted.

Most people living on the streets learn to lash out or act aggressively and to avoid looking weak and encouraging attacks.

Everyone has had a bad day where they acted in a way they regretted later. This is true for people experiencing homelessness. Sometimes a little bit of grace goes a long way. Offering a smile, a cup of coffee, or a couple of bucks can make someone's day.

#portland #oregon #homeless #homelessness

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