PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – The 2025 report by Portland State University (PSU)’s Homeless Research & Action Collaborative shows homelessness in Multnomah County has increased by 67% since the last count in 2023.
What is the “Point-in-Time Count”?
The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a one-night snapshot required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (e.g., to inform funding, policy, and resource allocation) of how many people are experiencing homelessness on a given night. On the night of January 22, 2025 the combined tri-county count found 12,034 people experiencing homelessness in the three-county region.
Because it covers just one night, the count has known limitations and likely undercounts some people (for example, those doubling-up, or who stay in places not easily reached).
Numbers & county-by-county breakdown
- In the tri-county region of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties, the total count was 12,034 people in January 2025.
- Region-wide this represented a 61% increase over the 2023 tri-county count.
- For individual counties:
- Multnomah County saw a 67% increase.
- Clackamas County saw a 39% increase.
- Washington County saw a 22% increase.
The baseline numbers for 2023 (converting percentages into approx. counts) were:
- In 2023 the tri-county region counted 7,483 people experiencing homelessness.
- Of those: approximately 6,300 were in Multnomah County.
- Approximately 411 in Clackamas County.
- Approximately 772 in Washington County.
What does the “fully-integrated tri-county” method mean?
“Fully integrated tri-county” refers to the fact that for the 2025 Count (and for the first time in 2023) the three counties (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington) worked together to coordinate planning, survey methods, data collection, and analysis – rather than each county doing separate counts…