Even as winter comes to an end in the Rose City, the scramble to help unhoused people continues for many organizations. But as efforts continue and planning for next year ensues, organizations and the city are debating on the best approach to help people on the streets.
One of these services, Union Gospel Mission’s volunteer-based Search and Rescue program, is still hard at work allocating resources to those in need. Search and Rescue takes action against the cold by providing support via blankets, backpacks, supplies, and more. Cody Gaines is one of these volunteers who works with the mission in both the Men’s Life Change program — an addiction recovery program — as well as in Search and Rescue. He says that the program targets those at the highest risk. “When they’re completely screwed, that’s when we [help] them and work in their lives.” Gaines explains the importance of getting unhoused folks to the point of being self-reliant, saying, “Union Gospel Mission is one of the resources to get you out of the street, not to make the street more comfortable for you.” Gaines believes that traditional methods of getting people off the streets, like heating shelters, are often ineffective, saying, “The problem with warming shelters is that [they] don’t hold people accountable … Union Gospel’s mission helps you look at yourself and grow past that chapter of pain, anguish.”
Not everyone shares the same sentiment as Gaines. Kristle Delihanty, the founder of PDX Saints Love, feels warming shelters are beyond a necessity, saying, “we’re talking about it being 25 degrees outside … there should be no conditions on life saving [resources].” Delihanty, who is Christian herself, explains the potential hazard of entering a program with a religious agenda, saying, “what I’ve witnessed doing this work is … [homeless people who go through religious programs] are institutionalized for the length of the program then released, without being taught the actual evidence based tools to live a life.” She clarifies, “This is not about Union Gospel Mission or any one program in particular.” Delihanty further explains she comes from 20 years of lived addiction and homelessness, having been through both religious and non-religious means of recovery.
Meanwhile, the county sustains its commitment to the nearly 3000 shelter beds and 200 additional winter-only beds it provides. A presentation shared by the Joint Office of Homeless Services concluded that 26% of adults, 56% of families and 60% of youth eventually transition to permanent housing after being in shelters, allowing the numbers to speak for themselves.
On the other hand, Gaines shares that, “Sometimes, we run into people [during Search and Rescue] who don’t want anything, they just want a prayer. And of course, they’re going to get a blanket, a backpack, and some food. But [they] come searching for a way out.” He believes that the best thing someone can come looking for is a change in their life, rather than a quick, short-term fix. The housing crisis is still a pressing issue, and the end goal for anyone who goes through their program is permanent stable housing. Union Gospel Mission’s shelter, located at Portland Central Church of the Nazarene, operates from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Being unhoused can be seriously dangerous. Exposed to the sharp end of the fentanyl crisis, over 450 people experiencing homelessness died in Multnomah County in 2023, an increase of more than 125 from the previous year. That same year, the Multnomah County Department of Health reported that the average lifespan of unhoused people in Multnomah County was more than 30 years below the average resident. The risks of living outside lie mostly in drug overdose, homicide, and suicide. The county reported in 2023 that unhoused county residents were 51 times more likely to die of drug overdose, and 18 times more likely to die by both homicide and suicide. On average, the county was experiencing an average of 38 deaths per month. Though the county is reporting that the peak of the fentanyl crisis in Portland has subsided, with reported overdose deaths dropping in 2024, it doesn’t mean that thousands of people outside are still not at high risk.
Extreme weather and climate change is another long term concern. At the start of 2024, great power outages and ice storms across the city severely damaged homes and businesses, and caused at least a dozen deaths, according to an article published by the City of Portland in Jan. 2024. Winter weather still poses a threat. On Feb. 4 of this year a hypothermia death was confirmed by the county. The brief snowstorm in Portland on Feb. 13 revealed the dangers still posed by the tail end of winter. Gaines mentions the importance of action from the citizens, saying there’s several numbers everyone should remember in order to make reports of people who need help. These numbers can be found at the end of this article. In addition, for anyone looking to donate supplies, shelters and organizations are still looking for heavy duty and waterproof clothes, including jackets and a lot of socks. Adam Moore, homeless director at Union Gospel Mission, also mentions that 211 is the number which unhoused folks should call to get into Multnomah County funded shelters, though he concedes, “You have to be persistent. That’s the advantage of our shelter … as long as we have room we’ll let you in.” The shelter can serve 45 people of any gender. Various other shelters operate in Multnomah County, both county funded and non-profit, with over 3,000 beds available.
For everyone experiencing housing insecurity or needs which are not being met, there are a multitude of programs to keep people off the streets and safe. Yet the ever increasing numbers of unhoused people challenge these resources every winter, and support from outside these programs is vital.
City Team PDX – 503.231.9334
Victory Outreach – (503) 335-3264
Union Gospel Mission – (503) 274-4483
Multnomah County Shelters – 211
Emergency Service – 911
