The total number of homeless people in Multnomah County is up 30 percent since 2019, according to data released by the county’s Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) Wednesday. The majority of the increase is made up of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness—a term to define those who are living on the streets as opposed to in transitional housing or emergency shelters. As of 2022, 3,057 people were living unsheltered in the county, compared to 2,037.
After six months at the helm of the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS), interim director Shannon Singleton has announced she'll be stepping down by the end of November. In a press release, Singleton explained that she chose to accept a job at a public affairs firm called Espousal Strategies instead of pursuing the permanent director position at JOHS. Her last day at the government agency will be November 24. Singleton, who has a long.