Draft: Vision Statement for Portland’s 10-year Homelessness Plan

Within 10 years Portland will eradicate the institution of homelessness.  People currently homeless or on the verge of becoming homeless will, through their own efforts and the cross-class support of the community, government, and institutions of Portland, attain security of income and housing.

City agencies and all community members will work collaboratively to create an inclusive economic model that views the right to sleep in a home as the first condition of citizenship and humanity.  Collectively, we believe that every member of our community has the right to be housed and we view homelessness as intolerable.


Consequently, all our community members have the security of knowing that they will be protected from the disaster of homelessness and we in Portland know that we have a community that takes care of all it’s people.  Our work with homelessness will be a model for cities across the United States.


This vision is based on the following principles and guidelines:

• Building supportive relationships with the men, women, and children in our community who are dealing with homelessness and poverty.


• Increasing self-esteem and confidence by allowing people dealing with homelessness self-determination and control of their own destiny.


• Ensuring that all our work is grounded in dignity and respect.


• Ending barriers to homelessness by involving people experiencing homelessness in creating processes and procedures that are simple, flexible, and clear.


• Creating a strong and unifying vision and measures of success at the beginning of our process that guides all our efforts.


• Not waiting for housing units to be completed, but taking immediate action to alleviate the despair of homelessness and to prepare people to transition successfully into housing.


• Utilizing solid long-term planning coupled with short-term pilot projects, and high community involvement so that we are in a continuous, rapid learning cycle.


• Reducing misconceptions and myths about homelessness by educating members of the community about the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness and the issues that they face.

“In order to combat social exclusion and poverty, the Union (City of Portland) recognizes and respects the right to social and housing assistance to ensure a decent existence for all those who lack sufficient resources.”

----The Revised European Social Charter of the Council of Europe (1996), Article 34