Portland stands to lose more than 1,100 homeless shelter beds before the end of the year according to a recent Oregonian tally.

The closures result from budget cuts at both the city and county level that complicate Mayor Keith Wilson's stated goal of ending unsheltered homelessness.

The scale reflects two separate budget decisions made weeks apart. Multnomah County's Fiscal Year 2027 budget, adopted June 5, calls for a phased closure of 605 adult shelter units and 90 scattered-site family shelter vouchers — 695 county-funded beds gone. Portland City Council's FY 2026-27 budget, adopted June 17, slashes the city's shelter services by $18 million (a 31% cut) to $40 million.

The remaining 400-plus closures come from the city side, though Portland has not specified which facilities will shut down.

The city also stopped transferring $31 million to Multnomah County for homeless services, choosing instead to run those programs directly. Street outreach funding dropped $1.7 million (37%) to $2.8 million.

Both governments faced enormous budget pressure. The city confronted a record $170 million general fund shortfall, driven in part by federal tax changes that stripped Portland of an expected $33 million in revenue over two years.

The county's Homeless Services Department said declining funding left it unable to sustain the current system.

After the county's cuts take effect, 1,667 county-funded shelter units will remain. The county said it structured the reductions to protect roughly 9,000 formerly homeless residents already placed in permanent housing.

Shelter operators have begun notifying guests, according to the county's Homeless Services Department. The department has not yet set a closure timeline or named which shelters will shut down.

Wilson tried to close a gap in the city's homeless response by requesting $6 million from Washington County and $4 million from Clackamas County earlier this year, according to Oregonian reporting.

Both rejected the ask. Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West cited a lack of trust in Portland's leadership.

The mayor has struck a defiant tone throughout the budget season. When proposing his budget in April, Wilson said, "We cannot afford to return to an era where we found death in tents, under tarps, behind dumpsters, and beneath bridges." After the council adopted the final budget on June 17, he claimed Portland had "preserved our shelter system."

City Councilor Candace Avalos, who chairs the council's Homelessness and Housing committee, warned in January about the consequences of reducing shelter capacity without building enough permanent housing. Without adequate exits, she said, the city risks "cycling people back onto the street — not moving them forward."

The Metro Supportive Housing Services oversight committee, which reviews regional homelessness funding, meets next on Wednesday, July 8. Residents can submit written testimony to [email protected].