Invisible wins: How $1.4 billion has transformed Portland area homeless services

In 2020, Portland area voters passed a 1% tax on businesses and high-income earners on the promise it would “end our homelessness crisis” – a campaign catchphrase – in 10 years.

Five years and $1.4 billion later, more people are homeless than ever before and polls show the region’s voters are deeply skeptical that the money, currently set to sunset in 2030, has been well spent. As voters watch the crisis continue unabated, even many who support housing homeless people have told pollsters and reporters that they fear the money meant to help has been misspent, mismanaged and mostly wasted.

Ashley Garrison doesn’t think so…

Read the full story on The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Photo by Beth Nakamura