PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – An audit released by the Portland City Auditor on Wednesday found the Joint Office of Homeless Services has helped expand the shelter system in Multnomah County. However, some people in need of shelter are met with full shelters and waitlists.

The Joint Office of Homeless Services was created by Multnomah County and the City of Portland in 2016 as a way to centralize planning, policy, and funding for homelessness programs. For fiscal year 2024, the Joint Office’s budget was around $279 million, with about 100 staff members, according to the audit.

Even though the Joint Office has expanded the shelter system in Multnomah County, the audit found several areas where the office can improve.

Since the Joint Office was created, the number of shelter beds has more than tripled in Multnomah County, the audit notes. In 2015, the county reported 521 shelter beds, which increased to 2,053 in 2022. For fiscal year 2024, the Joint Office budgeted for 3,220 shelter beds.

While there are more shelters in the county, the audit points out there is a growing number of people who have experienced homelessness.

In 2023, 6,297 people were counted as homeless in Multnomah County under the Point In Time census – an increase of nearly 2,500 people compared to 2015, according to the audit. As of January 2024, a comprehensive by-name list of people experiencing homelessness in the county included 11,153 people. Of that group, nearly 5,400 were unsheltered.

Additionally, the audit said the Joint Office has worked to reduce barriers to entering the shelters.

A majority of the shelters reviewed in the audit are open 24 hours a day and use a reservation or referral system. However, some people seeking shelter have been met with long waitlists.

A service provider quoted in the audit explained, "'The biggest barrier to connecting people is that there isn't enough space. Limited space makes the waitlist a necessity, but the waitlist also makes it harder for people to access shelter.'"

A person experiencing homelessness told the auditors, "I've given up. I've been on waitlist since October 2022. Some waitlists are 300 deep. If you are not a senior or disabled, forget about getting shelter."

As of spring 2023, the Joint Office funded four family shelters offering rooms to 100 families. 211info reported there were 300-350 families on the shelter waitlist, with waitlist times ranging from one to six months, according to the audit.

Officials said towards the end of the audit, the county and city released a draft called the Homelessness Response Action Plan in March 2024. The plan includes building 1,000 additional short-term shelter beds.

The audit also reviewed how the Joint Office tracks exits from the shelter and into housing. The audit found shelters should find more effective pathways to get people into permanent housing.

Auditors said Joint Office goals for housing outcomes were "missing, inconsistent, or not realistic."

According to Joint Office data for fiscal year 2023, 25% of adult, family, and youth shelter exits were to a permanent housing destination (helping 1,136 people). However, the audit reported there were more exits from shelters back to homelessness (1,287 people). The destination for over half of the exits was unknown (2,369 people).

Auditors recommend that the Joint Office develops strategies to meet shelter demand, improve shelter access, and increase successful placement in permanent housing.

The audit furthered that Joint Office programs were overall designed to reduce racial disparities. However, disproportionate rates of homelessness among communities of color persist.