Homelessness affects about 23 people per 10,000 in the United States. Here is one of their stories. 

Thomas Whisenant served in the US military for a year in 1973 before being medically separated. The Military did not educate veterans about their benefits back in the day. He went back home and stayed with his parents, then a few friends, before moving in with his first wife. They split up in ’75, and after willingly giving everything to her, Mr. Whisenant ended up homeless for the first time. He tells us, “I never thought of being homeless as a negative thing in my life; some people go through it.” “The hard part was not feeling safe and staying full.”

Mr. Whisenant did not feel the need to seek help for 47 years. His “bad luck with women and being extremely independent” caused years of on-and-off homelessness, and it caught up with him in 2022, when Mr. Whisenant was sent to the hospital and diagnosed with diabetes. He couldn’t take care of himself and needed to find housing to be discharged from the hospital. He was no longer qualified for VA housing because he needed care. Warrior Services took up his case, and after 2 years of being in and out of unstable housing, he has been settled in his place since 2024 and “couldn’t ask for anything more”. Mr. Whisenant’s advice for anyone experiencing homelessness is “to accept help.” 

Below are the 2025 statistics for homelessness and chronic cases in Oregon. Over 20,000 Oregonians are experiencing homelessness, which has risen about 22% from last year. In 2023, Governor Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency for people experiencing homelessness and has extended it until 2027. Housing costs are expected to continue rising, making new constructions more expensive, and funding is lacking to keep up with the homeless emergency. Only 14,000 buildings were constructed last year, 22,000 short of the governor’s goals. With housing scarcity comes higher rent, making donations and funding for housing a top priority in the fight against homelessness. Start looking for help by dialing 211 or by visiting their website to access program information. 

Homelessness in Oregon 2025

Breakdown of Living Situations

CATEGORY	COUNT	PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL	YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE
Emergency Shelter	5,920	29.4%	+3.8%
Transitional Housing	1,186	5.9%	+5.1%
People in Vehicles	4,850	24.1%	+15.3%
People in Tents/Encampments	6,120	30.4%	+18.9%
People in Abandoned Buildings	2,034	10.1%	+16.2%
Total Unsheltered	13,004	64.7%	+17.2%
Total Sheltered	7,106	35.3%	+4.2%

Data Source: Oregon Housing and Community Services, Portland State University Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative 2023 Report

Chronic Homelessness in Oregon 2025

Long-Term Homelessness Patterns

CATEGORY	COUNT	PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL	AVERAGE DURATION
Total Chronic Homeless Individuals	4,234	21.1%	3.2 years
Chronic Homeless in Shelter	1,456	34.4%	2.8 years
Chronic Homeless Unsheltered	2,778	65.6%	3.6 years
With Serious Mental Illness	2,964	70.0%	—
With Substance Use Disorders	3,177	75.0%	—
With Physical Disabilities	1,861	44.0%	—
Chronic Homeless Age 55+	1,819	43.0%	4.1 years

Data Source: Oregon Housing and Community Services, HUD Chronic Homelessness Definition