In Portland, it costs $25,000 a year to maintain the status quo. A recent point in time count report revealed that 1,887 people were unsheltered, 872 people were sleeping in an emergency shelter, and 1,042 people were sleeping in transitional housing. In all, 3,801 people met HUD's definition of homelessness.

If we do the math (3,801 homeless at $25,000 a year), Portland is spending more than 95 million a year, Portland is already paying out for the homeless and Portland is paying too much to maintain the status quo.