Bend, OR – Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has extended the homelessness state of emergency for a third consecutive year, continuing the state’s focused response to a growing crisis. The extension follows a federal report released in late 2024, confirming that Oregon has one of the highest homelessness rates in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual Point-in-Time Count, nearly 23,000 Oregonians, or about 0.5% of the state’s population, experienced homelessness as of January 2024. Of those, approximately 62% were unsheltered.
The report also highlighted a nationwide increase in homelessness from 2023 to 2024, with Oregon among the 42 states seeing higher numbers despite substantial investments and attention from state officials. Governor Kotek’s administration has allocated significant resources in recent years, and her proposed 2025-2027 budget includes $700 million aimed at providing shelter and preventing homelessness, alongside an additional $1.4 billion in bonds and infrastructure funding to address the state’s longstanding housing shortage.
While the homelessness numbers remain alarming, Kotek and her office pointed to progress in the state’s response. The Governor’s office and the Oregon Housing and Community Services department estimate that by the end of June 2025, the state will have funded 5,500 shelter beds, helped 3,300 families transition into stable housing, and prevented 24,000 households from falling into homelessness.
“We must stay the course on what we see working,” Kotek said in a statement Thursday. “If we keep at this pace, one in every three people who were experiencing homelessness in 2023 will be rehoused.”
The extension of the emergency order provides the state with additional flexibility to coordinate resources across various state agencies, local governments, and community service organizations. The executive order also mandates the creation of a statewide homelessness response system, ensuring ongoing collaboration even after the emergency order concludes.
Andrea Bell, Executive Director of Oregon Housing and Community Services, emphasized that the state’s response requires continued urgency and collaboration. “This work is and has always been about people and making their lives better,” she said. “It starts with supporting and empowering local leaders to do what they do best — deliver for community.”
Kotek’s administration has made clear that addressing the homelessness crisis is a top priority, and despite the challenges, they remain optimistic about the long-term impact of their efforts. The extension of the state of emergency ensures that the response will continue at full capacity in the coming months as Oregon works to reverse the troubling trends in homelessness.
