Report: LGBTQ+ advocates find Portland is ‘not built for’ queer homeless community

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A new report on homelessness among LGBTQ+ people in Portland says the city is failing queer folks when it comes to getting them support and shelter.

Two years in the making, the report comes from advocates who spoke with local queer and transgender community members about their experiences in the city while analyzing data to make new policy recommendations.

A coalition of nonprofits like Basic Rights Oregon, Pride Northwest and the Cascade AIDS Project say that despite Portland’s gay-friendly national reputation, its community may not be well equipped to handle an influx of folks looking to relocate here.

“A lot of people are coming here because they want freedom,” said Faera, who identifies as transgender and Black. “But the system is not built for us.”

First, the report found data on homelessness among LGBTQ+ Portlanders is incomplete. For example: Point-in-time counts of people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County surveyed gender identity, but not sexual orientation.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, queer people are more likely to find themselves homeless when compared to the general population. The rates of homelessness are higher among queer youth, and continue to rise within the queer Black community when compared to their white counterparts.

In response, the report offers several policy recommendations, including improving data collection when it comes to sexual orientation and gender.

They ask the Joint Office of Homeless Services to revise their vulnerability index – a tool designed to triage folks experiencing homelessness and get them support.

They also want to increase the number of temporary shelters, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing that are non-binary and culturally specific.

All of this comes at a time when other West Coast cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco have invested specifically in culturally-specific shelters and supportive services. The report hopes to develop something similar in Portland.

The full “LGBTQAI2S+ Houselessness in the Portland Region” report can be viewed below.