Curtis Holloway, another excellent article — this time on the devastating impact of sleep deprivation among the unhoused. Thank you for highlighting an often-overlooked truth: lack of real sleep drives not only individual suffering but also the wider disorder we see on Portland’s streets. Like many Portlanders, I feel torn between compassion and control.
The President’s executive order signed in July leans heavily on control: mandatory treatment, stricter camping bans, and funding tied to removals. Portland, by contrast, leans on compassion: low-barrier shelters, voluntary services, and the belief that stability must come before sobriety. Yet what often gets lost is the science of sleep, as Holloway recapped. People outside survive on only a few hours of restless, unsafe rest — fueling agitation, psychotic-like episodes, relapse, and despair. A shelter bed can mean several hours of restorative sleep, the difference between chaos and a chance at recovery. Addiction and mental illness keep many trapped there, and drive the visible disorder and crisis on the streets.
If Portland wants change, it must resist the false choice. We need both: shelters that restore humanity and treatment strong enough to break addiction’s grip. Nearly 15,000 people are experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County (Axios, April 2025), shelters run at 92% occupancy (OPB, April 2025), and the Deflection Program has made progress with 486 referrals and 87 completions (Multnomah County, June 2025).
Sleep, stability, and recovery may be the first step toward restoring order — and every night of real rest could mean fewer crisis calls, lighter ER loads, and less strain on already stretched public services. Only time will tell, and clear, concise government reporting is essential to know if our tax-paying dollars are truly being well spent.
Excellent question and I can’t find anything more than what I initially discovered
So unfortunately we don’t know how many of those 87 are actually drug- or substance-free because that outcome is not being tracked or reported. Without accountability and transparent statistics, the public cannot truly understand if these programs are delivering real results.
Which has been a persistent problem since Charlie Hales declared a "Homeless State of Emergency" in 2015. 10 years and our City and County leaders have never implemented a functioning scoring system to see if they were meeting metrics to solve the problem? When does this insanity stop?
Thank you for this valuable perspective on our homeless problem. Your research should encourage all of us to be more empathetic to our fellow human beings. Everyone needs a safe place to sleep.
I was present at the shelter when this photo was taken. The woman in the wheelchair was dropped off by authorities to wait in the sun for 4 hours until the shelter opened. Where is the humanity in that? (Good Samaritans took her to another shelter to wait, out of the sun.) But the real question this photo evokes, and that I asked, is "WHY WAS THIS POOR WOMAN NOT PROVIDED SECTION 8 OR LOW-INCOME HOUSING INSTEAD?" The Yards over on NW Naito has something like 100 units vacant, pending a bureaucratic screw-up, I heard. Folks, the whole picture is not just a lack of affordable housing, it's that our own government has established too many layers of ridiculous red tape and bureaucracy. There is too much incentive for civil servants and the homeless industrial complex to keep churning the same people through inefficient processes. After all, if they actually solved these problems, they'd be out of a job.
I so agree with sleep deprivation being a likely detriment to impulse control on people already prone to antisocial behavior and self-harm. You paint a rational picture of what might be a genuine benefit of overnight shelters such as these. But the reality is, it is extremely common for the homeless to refuse a shelter space when offered, so it will likely require that it be mandated through stringent enforcement of anti-camping laws, anti-littering laws, open drug use laws and laws requiring valid licensure and insurance for all vehicles on public streets. Portlandia hates anything to do with law enforcement on perceived "victims" of certain categories, and I'm not holding my breath that we'll witness a serious attempt to add any sticks to the bundles of carrots that have been and still are regularly dispensed to the homeless.
I have loved your past articles. Sadly, not this one so much. I appreciate your research, but that research should have started with a close look at the homeless, say in your 2 block radius, that are camped outdoors.
I can't speak for your neighborhood, but I can for mine. And what you describe is not what we see. In the last 7 years, with one exception, every street person camping in our neighborhood is in a car, a camper/RV or tent. Yes, they could be suffering from sleep deprivation, but being sheltered as they are, they don't seem to act much like it. The indication is that they sleep with some sense of protection, surrounded by canvas or steel.
Of course, the increase of threat to their person is much greater at night, when less neighbors are on the street and darkness hides criminal activity. That personal threat falls off greatly in the light of day. So it seems also likely, for those deprived of sleep at night due to safety fear, are going to - and do - sleep during the day - when they are unlikely to be under that increased threat. And they surely do in our neighborhood where many stir from their encampment mid-afternoon. And I bet they do in your neighborhood too.
And in my neighborhood, where dogs far exceed children, our streets are teeming with dog walkers from 6am to midnight. (I see them at all hours even 2-3 am.) So those homeless sleeping on property adjacent these streets (Collins Circle, United Methodist Church, sidewalks), are monitored by the locals - their dog-walking habits a deterrence to some crime and creating more protection for the homeless. But, you seem to have ignored all of that as if the homeless only sleep at night and only in unsafe locations where they suffer sleep deprivation.
It's true, I cannot much speak for the ODOT campers - but what I have seen is that they often camp in packs for self protection. We know this because walking along the Ho Chi Minn trail on the south side of Hwy 26 - one of the occupants of the 3-5 tents there might be up, out and staring down local pedestrians as they pass their encampment - all while the rest huddle inside their tents and make-shift shelters. Apparently awake and unable to sleep according to you.
And then there are the campers hiding in the edges of public woods and forests near the MAX tunnel entrance on west Jefferson, nestled along the steep hillsides east and south of Hwy 26 heading towards Sylvan. Those hearty folk build private encampments largely out of sight, in the woods, for privacy and self-protection. And we know these zombies are there because they come out at night - oh, yes, the time you assume they aren't getting any sleep - to search out a cell signal and check their phone map for where their pusher is rendezvousing with them in our neighborhood to provide their evening fix. Oh, yes, we've seen that too.
But, in contradiction to your unproven assumptions, I also need to add a class of homeless that are relentless junkies and wake late in the day in search of foil, lighter and a fix. They come out at dusk, they secure and administer their fix, and then, once satiated, stumble back to their tents and build-ups to drift pleasantly in the daily euphoria they are addicted to. Naturally these street people are not trying to sleep while seeking to get high and likely do not attempt to sleep while remaining high. What would be the satisfaction of that? No. They likely sleep after they crash - when their high has worn off. At that point, crashed as they are, they likely have no problem falling asleep. But, according to you, they are all night owls deprived of sleep. Well, if they are, it is by their own drug-induced actions.
So in summary, Curtis, perhaps before you write a lovely piece of research that is more fiction than truth, at least take a very close look at your alleged sleep-deprived street-living patrons and see what's really going on. What you describe is more fantasy then reality in our neighborhood. I suspect it's the same in yours. And clearly, you really don't know. Your article only speaks in supposition. And, as I know you know, supposing something does not make it true. I look forward to you taking a real close look at your local homeless community and see just how many are victims of sleep deprivation - deprivation not of their own volition.
Sure--they get 40 winks (assuming the other poor wretch about two feet away isn't snoring, gagging, talking in their sleep, or on a rant against some imaginary demon). And--how kind: " The Northrup Shelter limits belongings to the amount that can fit underneath their beds."
This is progressive insanity: the idea that if we do an overnight cleanup we will have, in any way, addressed the actual issues of "homelessness," as we pitch these miserable people back out onto the streets--with whatever fit under their beds.
This will keep the people who live off the "homeless" in business...and will do nothing to return the streets during daytime to the citizens of this town. This kind of mushy thinking is what got us into. this mess in the first place.
While these points are interesting, they don't address 4 issues. 1) One is the fact that what the homeless of our streets need isn't just an overnight bed. When they get out of the shelter in the morning, they MUST have someone who can introduce them to wraparound services and case management. At this time the mayor' only has ONE main guy at morning release. How can that be adequate to assess the needs of 4 people? 2) I don't want to be tacky, have you slept in such a shelter? The worst sleep my life was in a small room with 8 men, all strangers. It is not conducive to good sleep! 4) Cost-effectiveness: The fully-loaded cost of a bed there is estimated at $28K per bed. Is that a smart way to help the homeless? Seems like we could give each of them an annual rent voucher for less! And finally: the homeless themselves often decline congregate shelters for these reasons:
Safety and Trauma----
• High risk of violence and theft: Residents often report being assaulted, threatened, or robbed in these environments.
• Re-traumatization: People with PTSD or anxiety may find the crowded, chaotic atmosphere overwhelming and triggering.
• Gang activity and coercion: Some shelters have been described as places where individuals are pressured to fight or engage in illegal activities for protection.
Lack of Privacy and Dignity----
• Dormitory-style living: Sleeping in rooms with dozens of strangers can feel dehumanizing and unsafe.
• Surveillance and control: Strict rules and constant monitoring can make residents feel more institutionalized than supported.
Health and Well-being----
• Spread of illness: Close quarters increase the risk of infectious diseases, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Mental health strain: The environment can exacerbate existing mental health conditions rather than support recovery.
I hadn't considered this aspect. Your points are valid and make me more optimistic about the new shelters.
I don't know much about the private shelter on 17th either. Hopefully we'll learn more. And, I hope the outcomes are good for all concerned: clients and community.
Curtis Holloway, another excellent article — this time on the devastating impact of sleep deprivation among the unhoused. Thank you for highlighting an often-overlooked truth: lack of real sleep drives not only individual suffering but also the wider disorder we see on Portland’s streets. Like many Portlanders, I feel torn between compassion and control.
The President’s executive order signed in July leans heavily on control: mandatory treatment, stricter camping bans, and funding tied to removals. Portland, by contrast, leans on compassion: low-barrier shelters, voluntary services, and the belief that stability must come before sobriety. Yet what often gets lost is the science of sleep, as Holloway recapped. People outside survive on only a few hours of restless, unsafe rest — fueling agitation, psychotic-like episodes, relapse, and despair. A shelter bed can mean several hours of restorative sleep, the difference between chaos and a chance at recovery. Addiction and mental illness keep many trapped there, and drive the visible disorder and crisis on the streets.
If Portland wants change, it must resist the false choice. We need both: shelters that restore humanity and treatment strong enough to break addiction’s grip. Nearly 15,000 people are experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County (Axios, April 2025), shelters run at 92% occupancy (OPB, April 2025), and the Deflection Program has made progress with 486 referrals and 87 completions (Multnomah County, June 2025).
Sleep, stability, and recovery may be the first step toward restoring order — and every night of real rest could mean fewer crisis calls, lighter ER loads, and less strain on already stretched public services. Only time will tell, and clear, concise government reporting is essential to know if our tax-paying dollars are truly being well spent.
Do you have any real idea how many of those 87 "completions" are still complete?
Excellent question and I can’t find anything more than what I initially discovered
So unfortunately we don’t know how many of those 87 are actually drug- or substance-free because that outcome is not being tracked or reported. Without accountability and transparent statistics, the public cannot truly understand if these programs are delivering real results.
Which has been a persistent problem since Charlie Hales declared a "Homeless State of Emergency" in 2015. 10 years and our City and County leaders have never implemented a functioning scoring system to see if they were meeting metrics to solve the problem? When does this insanity stop?
Thank you for this valuable perspective on our homeless problem. Your research should encourage all of us to be more empathetic to our fellow human beings. Everyone needs a safe place to sleep.
Especially if it is right in front of the entrance to your condo.
I was present at the shelter when this photo was taken. The woman in the wheelchair was dropped off by authorities to wait in the sun for 4 hours until the shelter opened. Where is the humanity in that? (Good Samaritans took her to another shelter to wait, out of the sun.) But the real question this photo evokes, and that I asked, is "WHY WAS THIS POOR WOMAN NOT PROVIDED SECTION 8 OR LOW-INCOME HOUSING INSTEAD?" The Yards over on NW Naito has something like 100 units vacant, pending a bureaucratic screw-up, I heard. Folks, the whole picture is not just a lack of affordable housing, it's that our own government has established too many layers of ridiculous red tape and bureaucracy. There is too much incentive for civil servants and the homeless industrial complex to keep churning the same people through inefficient processes. After all, if they actually solved these problems, they'd be out of a job.
I so agree with sleep deprivation being a likely detriment to impulse control on people already prone to antisocial behavior and self-harm. You paint a rational picture of what might be a genuine benefit of overnight shelters such as these. But the reality is, it is extremely common for the homeless to refuse a shelter space when offered, so it will likely require that it be mandated through stringent enforcement of anti-camping laws, anti-littering laws, open drug use laws and laws requiring valid licensure and insurance for all vehicles on public streets. Portlandia hates anything to do with law enforcement on perceived "victims" of certain categories, and I'm not holding my breath that we'll witness a serious attempt to add any sticks to the bundles of carrots that have been and still are regularly dispensed to the homeless.
I have loved your past articles. Sadly, not this one so much. I appreciate your research, but that research should have started with a close look at the homeless, say in your 2 block radius, that are camped outdoors.
I can't speak for your neighborhood, but I can for mine. And what you describe is not what we see. In the last 7 years, with one exception, every street person camping in our neighborhood is in a car, a camper/RV or tent. Yes, they could be suffering from sleep deprivation, but being sheltered as they are, they don't seem to act much like it. The indication is that they sleep with some sense of protection, surrounded by canvas or steel.
Of course, the increase of threat to their person is much greater at night, when less neighbors are on the street and darkness hides criminal activity. That personal threat falls off greatly in the light of day. So it seems also likely, for those deprived of sleep at night due to safety fear, are going to - and do - sleep during the day - when they are unlikely to be under that increased threat. And they surely do in our neighborhood where many stir from their encampment mid-afternoon. And I bet they do in your neighborhood too.
And in my neighborhood, where dogs far exceed children, our streets are teeming with dog walkers from 6am to midnight. (I see them at all hours even 2-3 am.) So those homeless sleeping on property adjacent these streets (Collins Circle, United Methodist Church, sidewalks), are monitored by the locals - their dog-walking habits a deterrence to some crime and creating more protection for the homeless. But, you seem to have ignored all of that as if the homeless only sleep at night and only in unsafe locations where they suffer sleep deprivation.
It's true, I cannot much speak for the ODOT campers - but what I have seen is that they often camp in packs for self protection. We know this because walking along the Ho Chi Minn trail on the south side of Hwy 26 - one of the occupants of the 3-5 tents there might be up, out and staring down local pedestrians as they pass their encampment - all while the rest huddle inside their tents and make-shift shelters. Apparently awake and unable to sleep according to you.
And then there are the campers hiding in the edges of public woods and forests near the MAX tunnel entrance on west Jefferson, nestled along the steep hillsides east and south of Hwy 26 heading towards Sylvan. Those hearty folk build private encampments largely out of sight, in the woods, for privacy and self-protection. And we know these zombies are there because they come out at night - oh, yes, the time you assume they aren't getting any sleep - to search out a cell signal and check their phone map for where their pusher is rendezvousing with them in our neighborhood to provide their evening fix. Oh, yes, we've seen that too.
But, in contradiction to your unproven assumptions, I also need to add a class of homeless that are relentless junkies and wake late in the day in search of foil, lighter and a fix. They come out at dusk, they secure and administer their fix, and then, once satiated, stumble back to their tents and build-ups to drift pleasantly in the daily euphoria they are addicted to. Naturally these street people are not trying to sleep while seeking to get high and likely do not attempt to sleep while remaining high. What would be the satisfaction of that? No. They likely sleep after they crash - when their high has worn off. At that point, crashed as they are, they likely have no problem falling asleep. But, according to you, they are all night owls deprived of sleep. Well, if they are, it is by their own drug-induced actions.
So in summary, Curtis, perhaps before you write a lovely piece of research that is more fiction than truth, at least take a very close look at your alleged sleep-deprived street-living patrons and see what's really going on. What you describe is more fantasy then reality in our neighborhood. I suspect it's the same in yours. And clearly, you really don't know. Your article only speaks in supposition. And, as I know you know, supposing something does not make it true. I look forward to you taking a real close look at your local homeless community and see just how many are victims of sleep deprivation - deprivation not of their own volition.
Sure--they get 40 winks (assuming the other poor wretch about two feet away isn't snoring, gagging, talking in their sleep, or on a rant against some imaginary demon). And--how kind: " The Northrup Shelter limits belongings to the amount that can fit underneath their beds."
This is progressive insanity: the idea that if we do an overnight cleanup we will have, in any way, addressed the actual issues of "homelessness," as we pitch these miserable people back out onto the streets--with whatever fit under their beds.
This will keep the people who live off the "homeless" in business...and will do nothing to return the streets during daytime to the citizens of this town. This kind of mushy thinking is what got us into. this mess in the first place.
While these points are interesting, they don't address 4 issues. 1) One is the fact that what the homeless of our streets need isn't just an overnight bed. When they get out of the shelter in the morning, they MUST have someone who can introduce them to wraparound services and case management. At this time the mayor' only has ONE main guy at morning release. How can that be adequate to assess the needs of 4 people? 2) I don't want to be tacky, have you slept in such a shelter? The worst sleep my life was in a small room with 8 men, all strangers. It is not conducive to good sleep! 4) Cost-effectiveness: The fully-loaded cost of a bed there is estimated at $28K per bed. Is that a smart way to help the homeless? Seems like we could give each of them an annual rent voucher for less! And finally: the homeless themselves often decline congregate shelters for these reasons:
Safety and Trauma----
• High risk of violence and theft: Residents often report being assaulted, threatened, or robbed in these environments.
• Re-traumatization: People with PTSD or anxiety may find the crowded, chaotic atmosphere overwhelming and triggering.
• Gang activity and coercion: Some shelters have been described as places where individuals are pressured to fight or engage in illegal activities for protection.
Lack of Privacy and Dignity----
• Dormitory-style living: Sleeping in rooms with dozens of strangers can feel dehumanizing and unsafe.
• Surveillance and control: Strict rules and constant monitoring can make residents feel more institutionalized than supported.
Health and Well-being----
• Spread of illness: Close quarters increase the risk of infectious diseases, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Mental health strain: The environment can exacerbate existing mental health conditions rather than support recovery.
I hadn't considered this aspect. Your points are valid and make me more optimistic about the new shelters.
I don't know much about the private shelter on 17th either. Hopefully we'll learn more. And, I hope the outcomes are good for all concerned: clients and community.