Portland-area leaders have set a goal of reducing homelessness by 10% over the next two years, replacing sweeping promises to end the crisis with a target tied to housing placements, data and available funding. The plan, adopted in late September by the five-member Steering and Oversight Committee of the Homelessness Response Action Plan, calls for housing more than 12,000 people by 2028. County officials say about 12,350 placements would be needed to meet the overall reduction target, while accounting for people newly experiencing homelessness and those who lose housing again. The goal would bring the number of people experiencing homelessness to roughly 13,000. An estimate provided ahead of the release of new county data put the number of people who had received homeless services in Multnomah County in the prior 30 to 60 days at about 14,500. The committee includes Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, County Commissioner Shannon Singleton, Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall and Portland City Councilor Eric Zimmerman. Representatives of regional housing and health agencies also participate without voting rights. Vega Pederson said the targets are more useful than campaign pledges that lack a plan or resources. “When you add those things together, that is what is moving the dial and decreasing homelessness in the community,” she said. Officials say better data now allows them to set measurable goals. The plan also includes an 8% reduction target for unsheltered homelessness, longer stays in supportive housing for people with high behavioral health needs, and more affordable housing for people earning 30% or less of the area median income. Wilson was the only voting member to oppose the targets. He indicated during the meeting that he did not consider a 10% reduction ambitious enough; his office declined to answer follow-up questions. Portland City Councilor Dan Ryan also said he would have voted no, arguing that the target understates the crisis’s effect on residents and the local economy. The plan’s funding remains uncertain. It is funded only through the end of the current fiscal year, said Jillian Schoene, who leads Multnomah County’s homelessness response system. About $35 million budgeted this year for shelter and housing placement is one-time money, and officials will need a similar amount next year to meet the 2028 goals. Lower state or federal funding could make that difficult. Tony Bernal, executive director of homelessness services provider Transition Projects, said the central question is whether officials can secure the resources to carry out the plan. “A numerical goal without a resource strategy is an aspiration, not a plan,” he said. The pace would also need to increase: placing 12,350 people in housing over two years would be a 27% jump from the rate achieved over the previous two years, according to a presentation to the committee. Portland-area governments and service providers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on outreach, shelter and housing support in recent years, but homelessness has continued to rise. Some local officials and providers support the targets while calling for deeper investment in affordable housing and services that help people remain housed. County Commissioner Singleton said more units affordable to people with very low incomes, along with long-term rent support and employment programs, could improve housing retention. County figures show 80% of people who received temporary rent assistance in fiscal 2024 remained housed two years after it ended; the rate was 84% for people placed in permanent housing with wraparound services. Metro Housing Director Liam Frost said the goals are possible if the region prioritizes living-wage jobs and economic stability. He cautioned that high rents and evictions can keep replenishing the need for homelessness services. Central City Concern CEO Dr. Andy Mendenhall said the goals reflect the region’s funding limits, including federal housing funding changes and gaps in Oregon’s behavioral health system. The plan marks a shift from promises to eliminate homelessness within a few years toward a measurable reduction. Whether that approach delivers will depend not only on housing placements, but also on whether local governments can secure the money and affordable homes needed to keep people housed.