"A 75-year-old man with no criminal history and no addiction worked his entire life and is now living without housing because his fixed income cannot compete with today's rents. A woman lost her rental at the beginning of the pandemic. She kept working full time while living in a van that eventually broke down. She walked five miles each way into town for years to keep her job. Through a structured shelter and housing navigation program, she finally stabilized, returned to housing, and is now on track to qualify for homeownership."
Homelessness is frequently driven by sudden housing market shifts rather than deliberate lifestyle decisions. During 2020 and 2021, remote work expanded and higher-income households moved into regions such as Central Oregon, increasing demand beyond available housing supply. Rents rose quickly, units were removed from the rental market, and owners reclaimed properties or did not renew leases through legal processes with limited protections for displaced tenants. Across Oregon, rents increased sharply from 2020 to 2022 while incomes did not keep pace, pushing households into severe cost burden. People already living near the margin could not absorb these shocks, lost housing, and often never recovered. Many affected individuals remain connected to families, healthcare, work, and long-term community ties.
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