Five Principles – A Human‑First Approach to Addressing Homelessness

Multnomah County Deflection CenterCompassionate neglect	Washington County Deflection CenterCompassionate respect
Person can walk out, no consequences	If the person walks out, they go to jail
If they stay, given a list of providers	If they stay, they choose from a list of providers
If they call on a provider, it is listed as "success"	Escorted to the provider, enrolled by a case manager
No follow up, no record of use or completion of services	Case manager follows up monthly, attends graduation

Path 1

The Temporarily Displaced

These are individuals or families who are at risk of homelessness because of a temporary economic or personal crisis. Their homelessness is not primarily caused by addiction, severe mental illness, or chronic dysfunction. Rather, they have experienced a destabilizing event that threatens their housing.

Common causes include job loss, eviction, rent increase, medical bills, divorce, domestic violence, family breakdown, or a temporary loss of income.

For this group, the issue is timing. If they receive practical help early enough, many can remain housed or quickly return to stable housing. If they do not, a temporary crisis can become homelessness, and homelessness itself can create new problems that are harder and more expensive to solve.

For this group, early assistance is often the difference between a temporary setback and a life-altering crisis.

The Temporarily Displaced

Temporarily displaced or at risk of homelessness

Receive timely assistance?

YES

Remain housed or quickly return to stable housing

Temporary crisis is resolved before it becomes chronic homelessness

Become homeless

Risk of job loss, family disruption, trauma, instability, and a harder path back to housing

Appropriate response

This group often needs short-term, practical assistance, such as:

Rental assistance
Eviction prevention
Landlord mediation
Short-term shelter
Legal aid
Employment support
Transportation assistance
Domestic violence support
Family reunification when safe and appropriate

Path 2

Those Requiring Long-Term Government Assistance

These are individuals whose physical disabilities, cognitive limitations, serious mental health conditions, chronic medical issues, age, or other barriers make it unlikely that they will become fully self-sufficient through employment.

That does not mean they lack value, dignity, or purpose. It means they may not be able to support themselves without ongoing help. With appropriate public support, many can live safely and with dignity. Without it, they are at serious risk of homelessness, deterioration, crisis-system dependence, or death.

For this group, long-term government assistance is not a handout for people who refuse to work. It is the practical alternative to leaving vulnerable people on the streets, where their condition often worsens and the public cost is eventually paid through hospitals, shelters, police, jails, and emergency services.

The goal for this group is not necessarily employment-based independence. The goal is safety, stability, dignity, and prevention of chronic homelessness.

Those Requiring Long-Term Public Support

Person has significant disability, cognitive limitation, serious mental health condition, chronic medical issue, or other long-term barrier

Receive long-term public support?

YES

Lives safely with dignity and stability

Receives housing support, medical care, benefits, case management, and other necessary services

Becomes homeless or remains homeless

May cycle through shelters, hospitals, jails, emergency rooms, and crisis services

In worst cases, deteriorates further or dies

Appropriate response

This group may need long-term support such as:

Disability benefits
Subsidized housing
Permanent supportive housing
Medical care
Mental health services
Case management
Food assistance
Transportation support
Daily living support
Medication management

Path 3

Those Ready to Rebuild Their Lives

These are individuals who have reached a turning point. They may have struggled with addiction, trauma, unemployment, family breakdown, criminal justice involvement, or long-term instability, but they have decided they want to change.

This group is central to the work of Holistic Recovery Organizations. They are not merely looking for a bed. They are willing to accept structure, case management, accountability, and a plan to address the underlying causes of their homelessness.

Readiness is essential, but readiness alone is not enough. Rebuilding a life requires structure, accountability, case management, and persistence. Some will succeed. Others will relapse, disengage, fail to follow their recovery plan, or return to homelessness.

For this group, the right response is not simply housing. It is housing plus structure, recovery, accountability, and long-term support toward independence.

Those Ready to Rebuild Their Lives

Person wants to rebuild their life and is willing to accept structure and help

Accepts and follows case management plan?

YES

Addresses root causes of homelessness

Stabilizes

Moves toward employment, restored relationships, recovery, and permanent housing

or disengages or fails to complete the process

Relapses, leaves the program, refuses accountability, or fails to follow the recovery plan

Ends up back on the street or in another crisis setting

Appropriate response

This group needs a structured rebuilding process, such as:

Transitional housing
Sober housing when appropriate
Case management
Addiction recovery
Mental health support
Life-skills training
Employment readiness
Mentoring
Accountability
A clear plan for permanent housing

Path 4

Those Not Yet Ready for Recovery

These are individuals trapped in addiction, untreated mental illness, trauma, or destructive life patterns who are not yet willing or able to accept the structure necessary to change.

This is one of the hardest groups to discuss honestly. Voluntary services may be offered repeatedly, but many will not accept them. Some are still in denial. Some are too impaired. Some do not trust the system. Some are not ready to give up the habits or substances that are destroying them.

For those not yet ready for recovery, there are only a few likely paths. Some eventually reach a turning point and become ready to rebuild their lives. Others deteriorate until institutional care becomes necessary. Tragically, some die.

Pretending there is a fourth path, indefinite survival on the streets without serious harm, is not compassion. It is denial.

The goal is to keep the door open while recognizing that voluntary recovery cannot be forced before a person is ready. But a serious policy must also recognize that waiting indefinitely can have deadly consequences.

Those Not Yet Ready for Recovery

Person is not yet ready or willing to accept recovery, structure, treatment, or accountability

Eventually becomes ready to rebuild?

YES

Moves to Path 3: Ready to Rebuild

Enters structured recovery, case management, transitional housing, or another rebuilding program

or disengages or fails to complete the process

Continues to deteriorate?

May require institutional care

Moves to Path 5

Worst-case outcome

Death from overdose, exposure, violence, untreated illness, despair, or medical neglect

Appropriate response

This group requires persistent outreach, but outreach alone may not be enough. Appropriate responses may include:

Street outreach
Relationship-building
Emergency shelter
Detox access
Treatment availability
Crisis intervention
Harm reduction where appropriate
Clear boundaries
Repeated offers of structured recovery
Legal intervention when public safety or grave disability is involved

Path 5

Those Requiring Institutional Care

These are individuals whose mental illness, cognitive impairment, addiction, or medical condition has become so severe that they cannot safely care for themselves and may pose a serious risk to themselves or others.

For this group, ordinary outreach, shelter, and voluntary services are not enough. If they receive appropriate treatment, voluntarily when possible, or through involuntary civil commitment when legally justified, they have a chance to stabilize. If they do not receive that level of care, they often remain homeless, deteriorate, cycle through crisis systems, and in some cases die.

This is a difficult and sensitive issue because it involves personal liberty, public safety, medical judgment, and the limits of voluntary care. But ignoring the issue does not protect vulnerable people. In many cases, it abandons them.

For this group, the choice is not between freedom and compassion. The real choice is between appropriate care, continued deterioration on the street, or death. Leaving severely impaired people outside in the name of personal autonomy is not compassion. It is abandonment.

Those Requiring Institutional Care

Person cannot safely care for themselves or poses a serious risk to self or others

Receives appropriate institutional care?

YES

Stabilization, treatment, safety, and supervision

May later move to the least restrictive appropriate setting, such as long-term supportive housing

Remains homeless

Continues to deteriorate

Cycles through hospitals, shelters, jails, detox centers, and emergency services

Worst-case outcome

Death from untreated illness, overdose, exposure, violence, or medical neglect

Appropriate response

This group may require:

Psychiatric care
Medical stabilization
Detox
Residential treatment
Secure treatment facilities
Involuntary civil commitment when legally justified
Court-supervised care
Guardianship or conservatorship review when appropriate
Long-term institutional or supervised care
Transition to the least restrictive safe setting when possible

The Five Principles Campaign

Most people can recover.

Record spending. More people on the street.

1.9 percent a month, despite record spending.

Why does Multnomah County have 9 to 13 times the homeless rate of its Metro neighbors?

"Compassionate neglect" versus "compassionate respect"

Compassionate neglect

Compassionate respect

The deflection centers, side by side

Multnomah County policies fail by their own standards.

The Five Principles

Unified Approach

Effective Outreach

Treat the Whole Person

Prevent Homelessness

Protect the Commons

Where Portland stands today, and what has to change.

One coordinated system, one accountable budget

Coordinated outreach that connects people with healthcare, counselling, housing, benefits, and a clear path forward

Housing and treatment together, tailored to the individual's needs, guided by data, outcomes, and Individual Recovery Plans (IRPs)

Use evidence-based methods to prevent people from falling into homelessness and evaluate such programs with outcome-based criteria

Safe, clean public spaces for everyone, supported by consistent laws and supporting interventions

Add your name to The Five Principles.

Measuring what matters: which programs are actually working?

The Accountability Criteria

Key Outcome Metrics

Two organizations, one conviction: recovery should be measured by results.

Organizations aligned with The Five Principles.

Organizations

Individuals

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The principles in practice.

Five Paths Through Homelessness: Matching Each Person With the Right Response

The Temporarily Displaced

Appropriate response

Those Requiring Long-Term Government Assistance

Appropriate response

Those Ready to Rebuild Their Lives

Appropriate response

Those Not Yet Ready for Recovery

Appropriate response

Those Requiring Institutional Care

Appropriate response

Homelessness is not one problem.

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