Governor Kotek Updates Statewide Progress: Unsheltered Homelessness Down 6.4 Percent Statewide in Comparable Year-to-Year Counts

Salem, OR - A new analysis of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates of homelessness finds Oregon has made significant progress in reducing unsheltered homelessness.

"For too long, Oregonians watched homelessness grow and wondered whether things could change. This data shows we are beginning to turn the tide," Governor Tina Kotek said. "We still have more work ahead, but communities across Oregon are proving that sustained investment, local leadership, and coordinated action can reduce unsheltered homelessness and help people get the support they need. We must keep going."

Although HUD's statewide dataset includes Multnomah County, recent changes to the county's Point-in-Time (PIT) count - specifically shifting to a by-name list (BNL) where each individual is tracked - mean the county's numbers cannot reliably be compared to previous years.

"Multnomah County's inclusion of their BNL data improves the quality of their HUD reported unsheltered count," Dr. Marisa Zapata, Associate Professor of Land-Use Planning at Portland State University and Director of PSU's Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative, said. "The BNL dataset also results in the appearance of significant growth in the county's unsheltered count when compared to previous years. Analyzing an outlier separately is warranted when the datasets are not apple to apple comparisons."

In 35 Oregon counties where data collection and reporting has not substantially changed from 2024 to 2025, there is significant progress on Governor Kotek's priority: reducing unsheltered homelessness:

• Unsheltered homelessness declined 6.4%
• Unsheltered homeless veterans declined 7%
• Chronically homeless individuals declined 7.2%
• Unsheltered homeless individuals declined 8.1%
• Unsheltered chronically homeless people in families declined 18.2%
• Unsheltered chronically homeless individuals declined 20.9%

"Jackson County is seeing real, measurable progress in reducing unsheltered homelessness, and that progress is the result of strong partnerships. This shared commitment is helping us reach people more effectively and ensuring more Oregonians have access to safe, stable housing. Addressing unsheltered homelessness requires all of us, and together we are making meaningful progress," said Kellie Battaglia, Executive Director for ACCESS.

Between January 2023 and September 2025, the Governor's emergency actions have resulted in 6,286 new and maintained shelter beds, 5,539 people rehoused from unsheltered homelessness, and prevention assistance for 25,942 households. The statewide response led by Governor Kotek has also strengthened data collection and reporting, providing a clearer and more accurate picture of homelessness across Oregon and helping guide ongoing investments and policy decisions.