The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released a report Thursday that shows a decline in the number of people without a home in Oregon.
Homelessness was at an all-time high back in 2010, according to HUD. Since then, the number of homeless people in Oregon has dropped by more than 38 percent. That means more than 7,000 people who were previously unsheltered now have a roof over their heads.
"The numbers out of Oregon are really quite encouraging," said HUD's regional administrator Bill Block.
But twelve thousand Oregonians are still homeless. Block said that's too many: "The moral of the report is we know we can make a difference -- this report shows it, but we now have to put the resources to work to finish the job."
He attributed the decline to more veteran housing and other shelter programs.
Copyright 2014 Oregon Public Broadcasting
