First Advisor

Jessica Ramirez

Date of Award

Spring 6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Social Work and University Honors

Department

Social Work

Language

English

Subjects

Houselessness, Housing, Local Government, Displacement, Shelters

Abstract

All across the nation, there is an affordable housing crisis that has led to many people losing their homes. In this paper, This paper examines the current response to ending unsheltered homelessness in Portland, Oregon, and the ways that this response impacts the people it is intended to serve. The current mayor, Keith Wilson, ran his campaign with a plan to expand the number of shelter beds available. This plan has had mixed results as some people have been able to benefit, while others choose not to access shelters for various reasons. Besides opening more shelters, the city has another current response to help end unsheltered homelessness. Through a multi-year contract, the city of Portland has Rapid Response Bio Clean conduct coordinated camp cleanups at various locations that meet certain criteria. Although the city requires Rapid Response staff to be properly trained to work with this vulnerable population, the experiences of those who have had their encampments swept do not reflect this. There are also many issues that unhoused residents face when trying to retrieve their items from city warehouses, if that is where they end up.

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