PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon's homeless crisis took center stage at the state capitol this week as Gov. Tina Kotek signed three executive orders addressing the crisis on her first full day in office Tuesday, one of which declares a homelessness state of emergency.
The move has been met with enthusiasm from homeless advocates and a mix of skepticism and cautious optimism from some homeless Portland residents.
"It's a blue-sky day and our governor prioritized housing and homelessness on her first day. I’m feeling really optimistic," said Kaia Sand, executive director of the nonprofit organization Street Roots, which works with homeless people and publishes a newspaper of the same name. "Those are excellent first steps. The fact that she’s prioritizing housing and the needs of people with street homelessness is really, really important."
The homelessness state of emergency declaration applies to parts of the state where the homeless population has increased by 50% or more from 2017 to 2022. According to executive order No. 23-02, five major areas are affected:
- Portland metro region (50.4%)
- Central Oregon (86%)
- Eugene and Springfield/Lane County (110%)
- Medford and Ashland/Jackson County (132%)
- Salem/Marion and Polk counties (150%)
Another of Kotek's three orders sets a statewide target of building 36,000 new housing units per year. Sand said she thinks that plan will need to prioritize housing that's affordable for people making below 30% of the median income — people like Velma Carter, who lives on about $20 a day.
"If she's going to build more housing, how am I going to afford it?" asked Carter, who has been homeless on and off for about five years. She currently lives in an RV with her cat named Ghost.
"How is she actually going to get me into affordable housing?" Carter wondered again. She said she can't find available shelter and has applied for 43 jobs this month with no response, describing herself as "lost in the system."
Kotek's third executive order is intended to help reach people like Carter by directing state agencies to prioritize reducing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness across Oregon.
"People are currently becoming homelessness faster than we have been able to rehouse people who are living outside," Kotek said at a Tuesday news conference in the state library.
"I think that's very courageous of her. I think we need more attention on this issue because there's plenty of us out here," said Denis Saylor, a homeless resident of Old Town in Portland.
"It is extremely reassuring, and I think every Portlander should be grateful that we have a governor that's thinking about Portland," added Andrew Hoan, executive director and CEO of the Portland Business Alliance.
Hoan said the response to homelessness in the Rose City sets an example for the rest of the state.
"We are the flagship city. We are the beating heart of its economy. It is absolutely essential that we remedy the situation here because that will translate to obvious systems to be able to fix the issue in other locations," he said. "I think all of us are a little bit skeptical about how will this translate into action."
Some homeless Portland residents echoed that skepticism.
"Words are empty. It's all about the actions, so we'll see what happens," said Alex Loda, another Old Town resident experiencing homelessness.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler's office also responded to the governor’s executive orders, releasing a statement on Wednesday:
"Mayor Wheeler regularly meets with Governor Kotek on innovative client-centered solutions to our homelessness and mental/behavioral health crises, and the systems of care needed to solve these immense problems. Governor Kotek’s recently declared State of Emergency is a promising next step in Oregon’s ability to help cities across the state better address this issue. We look forward to learning more about the details of this State of Emergency and how it will impact Portland and continue to seek technical assistance and resources from the State as we enter the legislative session."