Homelessness Data

Documenting the number, characteristics, and needs of people experiencing homelessness in Oregon communities, as well as the number of people receiving services and the capacity of these services, is essential to identifying the proper strategies to tackle the problem. It’s very difficult to manage what you can’t measure. At the same time, traditional methodologies for measuring homelessness often undercount the true number of people experiencing homelessness and housing stability and have historically undercounted people of color and other marginalized populations. 

While current data sources provide a baseline for understanding homelessness in your community, it's important to supplement that data with other sources of information. Strong partnerships with local providers, culturally specific organizations, school districts, and importantly - residents with lived experience of homelessness - will provide a fuller picture.

Research and Data Justice

The Research Justice Institute (RJI) is an institute within the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) that conducts various community-led research projects, provides expert consultation to public and private institutions, and builds the research and data capacity of member and non-member organizations.

 

The RJI works towards decolonizing research and data by conducting research that defers to BIPOC communities, elevates the everyday knowledge and strategies of BIPOC communities as data, and bridges the divide between community and dominant institutions through the power and uses of BIPOC data.

 

• RJI Research and Publications