Joint Office of Homeless Services sees 28% increase of homeless placed in housing

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A new report from the Joint Office of Homeless Services shows that the office has helped nearly 5,500 people move into homes and leave homelessness during fiscal year 2023-24.

According to the office’s housing placement data, that number has increased by 1,211, or 28%, since the previous year — marking the biggest increase since the office first launched in July 2016.

Additionally, the JOHS reported that nearly 7,900 people entered shelter in fiscal year 2023-24, which is an increase of more than 2,000 people, or nearly 35%.

The announcement follows 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 near 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.

“These results…strengthen my belief that we are making a difference in our community, right now,” JOHS Director Dan Field said. “While we still have a ways to go before ending our homelessness crisis, thousands of people who were homeless are now in stable homes with the services they need to stay there.”

Funding from the Supportive Housing Services Measure continues to be a major component in the JOHS’ efforts. According to their report, more than 42% of those who left homelessness for housing last fiscal year received support funded by that measure. This marks a 76% increase in placements from the previous fiscal year, and nearly double from the year before that.

Beyond permanent housing, Multnomah County has also seen a 32% increase in how many people accessed a shelter bed for at least one night in Multnomah County, including new and continuous shelter users, to reach 9,101 people.

“We’re serving more people. We’ve added services,” Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said. “The Joint Office has effectively invested taxpayer dollars in ways that are changing lives. Anyone who sees these outcomes can see that these partnerships are working to change what’s happening in our County for the better.”