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.
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 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.
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 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.