If we don’t know how many people are homeless in our area, we won’t be able to create and provide resources to support to them. That’s why Clackamas County does a Point in Time count every other year. Using a team of volunteers, we explore the county on a specific day, seeking people who are unsheltered – sleeping outdoors, in camps, on the street, in vehicles or in abandoned buildings or sheds. We also seek to include people who are couch surfing, living in overcrowded living situations due to lack of permanent housing.
Thanks to a group of volunteers, 2,293 homeless persons were counted in the 2017 Clackamas County Point in Time. Of those people, most reported that the primary reasons they were experiencing homelessness was due to the high cost of rent, unemployment and eviction.
The 2019 Homeless Count will generate current information and provide valuable data that will help us all develop programs to help meet the needs homeless children and adults in Clackamas County.