I'm guessing they didn't count on the worst recession since the Great Depression. (Why don't we call them depressions anymore?)

Are more people becoming homeless or is it still the case that PDX has a rep among the homeless nationwide as a place where it's easier to get by in a climate that's a lot more friendly than Minneapolis or Buffalo? The problem with statistics is always in the interpretation. Assuming statistics are done competently and without built-in bias, they are facts. Interpretation is another matter entirely. Interpretation is speculation.