Portland Housing Providers Seek Better Support for Residents With Addiction

Portland housing nonprofits report that property damage and the costs of complex behavioral health needs have mightily strained their operations. Several providers in Oregon described how mental health issues, substance use and gaps in treatment made it difficult for folks to stay safely housed. As a result, fewer people now have access to vital services and can lead to future crowding on the city streets.

Interpreting the Findings

Let’s be clear about harmful stereotypes when it comes to the unhoused. People experiencing homelessness aren’t inherently incapable of living independently. When property damage occurs alongside an untreated health condition, it usually indicates that care, staffing and housing support are missing.

Stable housing remains an essential part of wellness. Many unhoused folks need the foundation to pursue treatment, rebuild relationships and regain a sense of safety. But housing without adequate clinical care, crisis response or individualized support often don’t meet the needs of residents.

Repairing damage, increasing staff and responding to emergencies consume resources that nonprofits might otherwise direct to better treatment services. 

Building on Care Options

Any sustainable response requires full support. In the past, Oregon has pushed for dual diagnosis care. Addressing co-occurring conditions can include a strong case management team that coordinates care and addressing multiple conditions at the same time.

Addressing property damage doesn’t require stigmatizing folks who need housing. With sufficient clinical and community support, housing is a stable point to allow people to pursue better health.

Treatment Available Now

Regardless of housing status, anyone who needs treatment for substance use or a co-occurring mental health condition, shouldn’t wait. Check out our browsable directory to find providers organized by location, level of care and treatment focus.

Feel free to also dial 800-908-4823 (Sponsored) to speak with an expert to explore local options.

Author

Terri Beth Miller, PhD

Author, Award-Winning Post-Secondary Teacher

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Terri Beth received her PhD in English literature from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and is an educator and disability studies scholar. For more than a decade, she has written extensively in the fields of mental health and addiction recovery and fiercely advocates for the destigmatization of mental illness.

Editor

Peter Lee, PhD

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Peter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history during the Cold War. His primary focus is the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century. He has published widely on how the public has used popular culture as a mechanism to address political and social shifts throughout time