Each year, counties across Oregon conduct a Point In Time Count to try to get a sense of how many people are experiencing homelessness on a given night. The 2025 results for Lane County were released Thursday.
It was very cold on Jan. 29, when the count was underway. The Lane County Human Services Division, along with many partnering agencies, counted 3,509 unhoused people. That’s a 14% increase over last year.
One part of that increase includes 237 unaccompanied youth. Health and Human Services spokesperson Jason Davis said it is often the case that young people are on the streets to escape violent family situations.
“Where a youth accesses support like food, shelter, education— that is a family structure," he said. "And that family’s job and responsibility is to help ensure the youth has that. That’s where we need work.”
According to Lane County’s Point In Time report, nearly half of the individuals counted live in a state of “chronic homelessness.” And once a person becomes homeless, they tend to remain unhoused for a longer period of time.
Davis wanted to dispel a myth that homeless people move to Lane County to access services. He said 70% of the people experiencing homelessness in the county went from being stably housed to unhoused while being a resident.
Along with about 110 service providers countywide, LCHHS has been working to creatively and effectively reduce homelessness. Davis said dialogue with agencies has indicated issues are like sugar and salt.
“The sugar is that we’ve been able to get folks in shelter situations like never before," he said. "Shelters have increased, supportive housing has increased and more and more people who were once on the streets are becoming housed.”
But why was there a 14% increase in homelessness in 2025? That's the "salt" in Davis' analogy. He said the lack of housing inventory and living wage jobs in the region has caused more people to become marginally housed or unhoused.
“Once you’re in that position, everything takes a hit from your credit score to the amount needed for down payment on a place to live,” said Davis.
In addition to the rise in the number of unhoused people in 2025, Lane County’s Point In Time data shows an increase in the number of people who were sheltered—52% more than in 2024. The report also notes that in alignment with the January 10, 2023, Governor’s Executive Order Due to the Crisis of Homelessness, from January 10, 2024, through May 12, 2025, "Lane County, in partnership with a robust group of service providers supported 650 households to transition from homelessness to permanent housing. This includes providing street outreach, short-term supports like help with move-in costs, or long-term supports like rent assistance and case management. In addition, 787 households were prevented from falling into homelessness through the payment of rent arrears and supportive services."
Davis said there is room for optimism.
“Because we’re dialing it in when it comes to moving people from a state of homelessness into a state of being stably housed," he said. "We understand the needs. We understand how to do it. The bigger picture is really a community wide one. It’s focused on economic growth and equitable prosperity.”
Lane County's report offered this comparative look at Point In Time Counts data from 2024 and 2025
Chronically homeless 1500 to 1630
Individuals in households with children 425 to 419
Veterans 151 to 210
Unaccompanied youth 198 to 237
Individuals Aged 65 or older 301 to 264
Domestic Violence Survivors 681 to 340
Total Sheltered 989 to 1505
Total Unsheltered 2096 to 2004
Total Count 3085 to 3509
