Portland HHS presents 2024 annual report detailing housing, harm reduction and service metrics

Maggie McLaughlin, director of Portland’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), presented the department’s 2024 annual report to the City Council committee on June 10, summarizing shelter outcomes, general-assistance activity, disease-prevention programs and investments in data and communications.

McLaughlin said the department’s 2024 staff numbered more than 460 and stressed that behind statistics are residents in vulnerable moments. "Behind each of those numbers is a team of more than 460 in 2024 that pour their heart and souls into this work," McLaughlin said.

Key housing and shelter figures from the report: - HSC and shelter system: the city operates roughly 250 shelter beds and sheltered more than 1,200 individuals during 2024; many clients use short-term shelter while a subset are long-term stays. - Family shelter: 281 individuals representing 86 families sheltered in 2024; staff transitioned 266 individuals (77 families) into housing. - Riverside Shelter: 439 clients sheltered; 167 were transitioned into housing. - The resettlement team served about 279 families (nearly 1,000 people), placing 159 into shelter and 32 families into…