By Cara Mico, Assistant Editor
Homelessness in Tillamook County diverges from patterns seen in larger West Coast cities due to its challenging outdoor living conditions, including severe weather and limited urban resources. This harsh environment is particularly taxing for the homeless, often visible in the weary expressions of those living in the woods or by the roadside.
Tillamook’s homeless are either unsheltered or “sheltered homeless,” residing in temporary beds, with family, or in vehicles. In 2017, estimates suggested approximately 230 homeless individuals countywide, a figure closely mirrored by the 250 homeless students reported in the 2017-2018 academic year, revealing a perplexing discrepancy. The number is likely closer to 700 given the number of homeless students; many people don’t want to reveal their homeless status for safety reasons or pride. It’s not likely that there are more homeless students than adults.
By comparison, Eugene has between 2,000 and 3,000 homeless people, including around 500 homeless veterans in 2015, also likely underreported. Efforts by the West Coast mayors’ coalition aimed at addressing homelessness have seen varied success, with Eugene nearing its goal to house all homeless veterans. Other cities have seen an increase in homelessness but also a demographic change in the homeless population. Some homeless shelters are seeing more elderly and working poor.
Rising housing costs across Oregon and the West Coast have stalled progress on reducing homelessness, which is compounded by stagnant wages. Market dynamics influenced by companies like BlackRock, acquiring significant numbers of single-family homes, have further strained the housing market, impacting essential community workers.
The impact of large companies and institutional investors buying houses on the housing market has been significant and multifaceted, affecting both housing prices and rental rates. According to a comprehensive analysis by Pew Charitable Trusts, nearly a quarter of all single-family homes sold in the U.S. in 2021 were bought by investors, a jump from about 15% annually since 2012. This influx of institutional investors into the single-family home rental market began en masse following the Great Recession, taking advantage of the glut of homes available due to subprime mortgage foreclosures.
Institutional investors have become a notable presence in more than 50 U.S. cities, focusing on areas with potential for strong job growth and a lack of housing supply. The largest of these firms in the U.S. is Invitation Homes, with more than 80,000 single-family rental properties, followed by American Homes 4 Rent with about 50,000 properties.
These investments have nuanced effects on neighborhoods. While they may displace long-term residents, they also potentially improve neighborhood quality by fixing up rundown homes and investing in infrastructure. However, the presence of institutional investors can lead to increased rents and eviction rates in affected neighborhoods. A study found that acquisitions by institutional investors led to a 5.2% increase in average rents and a 4.4% increase in eviction rates, alongside a decrease in crime reports and improvements in neighborhood safety.
These dynamics illustrate the complex role institutional investors play in the housing market, contributing to rising housing prices and rents, which can exacerbate the affordability crisis for many residents. This trend has implications for Tillamook County and other areas grappling with homelessness and housing shortages, underscoring the need for balanced approaches that ensure housing affordability and availability.
Mental health is another aspect. Many homeless individuals suffer from mental illness or addiction, and supportive housing that provides access to treatment and counseling is crucial. The situation is exacerbated by policies like the decriminalization of hard drugs, which lead to a spike in overdose deaths and a subsequent policy reversal due to the lack of investment in treatment services. Yet, a significant portion of the homeless population comprises the working poor, priced out of housing by escalating costs and the challenges of poor or no credit.
Tillamook’s Kilchis House is transitioning to affordable housing for those with mental health diagnoses, highlighting a gap in support for working individuals without such diagnoses. The situation in Tillamook is further complicated by a significant portion of the homeless population grappling with mental illness or addiction, underscoring the need for supportive housing that integrates treatment services. Kilchis House is planning to convert their facility to affordable housing for those with mental health diagnoses While this addresses a desperate need it leaves a gap for hundreds of working individuals and families without such diagnoses, highlighting a broader issue of scarce affordable housing across major West Coast cities.
The scarcity of affordable housing is acute in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle, where daily fatalities from overdoses and exposure underscore the crisis. This is increasing monthly with an influx of immigration from all over the world, to a level where former sanctuary cities are rethinking their open door strategy as their resources, and hotels, are full.
From my experience in San Francisco and Los Angeles, the situation is dire. The visible homeless are struggling certainly, but there is an increasing number of rough sleepers in their cars at every transit station, public parking lot, and almost every public street where they are not moved out by authorities. In the Nehalem area you can find rough sleepers up nearly every logging road, but you can also find them in cars in the driveways of friends, in the backs of trucks on a farm, sleeping on couches or in unfinished garages. The issue is severe and will likely continue to exist until housing and wages balance, and until there is a reasonable solution for housing the poor, the elderly, and the mentally ill. This would require significant public investment.
