- Oregon’s Project Turnkey initiative is renovating abandoned buildings into shelters, providing over 1,300 beds and helping individuals transition to permanent housing.
- Homelessness is on the rise nationwide, with Oregon experiencing a 22.5% increase during the pandemic.
- Rising rental costs are a burden for Oregon residents, with 80% of extremely low-income households spending over half their income on housing.
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Nina Jarl, a 63-year-old woman from Oregon, found herself homeless due to the increasing unaffordability of housing in the state. After experiencing a stroke and a leg injury that prevented her from working, Jarl was unable to pay rent and was evicted from the trailer she had been renting. She ended up sleeping in her car, feeling scared and too proud to ask for help. However, when she sought medical assistance for her leg, she was directed to a renovated shelter called The Annex, where she can live for up to a year and receive support to secure permanent housing.
The Annex is part of Project Turnkey, a state-funded initiative that aims to address the rise in homelessness by renovating abandoned buildings into shelters. The project has created properties in 27 cities in Oregon, providing over 1,300 beds to the state’s shelter system. The goal of Project Turnkey is not just to provide emergency shelter but also to connect individuals and families with the resources they need to exit homelessness. Initial analysis has shown that these renovated shelters have higher success rates in transitioning people to permanent housing compared to other shelter types in the state.
The issue of homelessness is not unique to Oregon. Nationwide, homelessness has been on the rise since 2016, with a 12% increase in 2023. Oregon experienced a 22.5% increase in homelessness during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it the state with the second-highest population of unsheltered homeless residents. Other states, such as California, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arizona, also saw significant increases. However, some states, including New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, and the District of Columbia, saw decreases in homelessness.
The rising costs of renting are a significant burden for Oregon residents, with 80% of extremely low-income households spending more than half their income on housing. This mirrors the national trend, where a record-high number of renter households are allocating more than 30% of their income to rent and utilities. Addressing homelessness in Oregon comes with challenges, particularly in garnering public support for shelter projects and securing ongoing funding for operations. However, organizers and advocates argue that the costs of not addressing the issue are higher, as people experiencing homelessness end up cycling through various public services, leading to increased expenses.
For individuals like Nina Jarl, these shelter projects offer hope and an opportunity to rebuild their lives. Jarl is actively working with case managers at The Annex to plan her next steps and appreciates the support and structure provided by the program. She hopes that people will have compassion for homeless individuals, emphasizing that anyone can find themselves in that situation. Project Turnkey and similar initiatives are seen as potential models for other states and cities dealing with homelessness, addressing both the immediate need for shelter and the long-term goal of permanent housing solutions.