Take Action for
Housing Justice in Eugene
Eugene is in a housing emergency. Thousands of our neighbors are unsheltered while the city council debates budgets. The time for half-measures is over. Demand real solutions now.
The Crisis
Unsheltered Neighbors
Recent point-in-time counts identified thousands of people experiencing homelessness across Lane County, with the majority unsheltered in Eugene alone.
Rent Burdened
Nearly half of Eugene renters pay more than 30% of their income on housing according to Census data. One missed paycheck can mean eviction and the street.
Year-Round Shelter Beds
Only a few hundred year-round shelter beds exist for the thousands who need them. Overflow shelters activate only during extreme weather. Most people have no guaranteed place to go.
The Budget Gap
Homelessness Funding Falls Short
In recent budget cycles, the City of Eugene has faced a structural deficit in its homelessness response funding. Despite declaring a housing emergency, the city council has not committed permanent, recurring funding at the scale needed. Community organizations providing frontline shelter and outreach operate on annual grants that can disappear with a single council vote.
Shelter Costs Outpace Housing Solutions
City-funded shelter operations have been reported to cost well over $100 per person per night—far more than the cost of rent subsidies or permanent supportive housing. These high costs drain the same budget that could house people permanently. We pay more for crisis response than we would for lasting solutions.
Tax Breaks vs. Services Funding
Eugene's urban renewal districts and multi-year property tax abatements have diverted substantial property tax revenue away from general fund services. Advocates argue that every dollar directed to a tax abatement is a dollar not available for housing, rent assistance, and street outreach.
The Scandals
The Navigation Center Cost Overruns
Lane County's planned Navigation Center—a centralized homelessness service hub—saw projected costs climb significantly over initial estimates. Delays, contractor disputes, and scope changes drove the price tag higher while people continued to sleep outside.
Safe Sleep Sites: Expensive Stopgaps
City-sanctioned managed tent camping areas have functioned as a stopgap that can cost as much or more per bed than permanent housing models. With seasonal closures and limited capacity, the system manages homelessness rather than ending it.
Public Land Sitting Idle
The City of Eugene and Lane County own vacant lots and underused properties across the city. While parcels sit fenced and locked, people sleep within sight of them. We have the land. What we need is the will to use it.
What We Demand
Permanent Dedicated Funding
Establish a dedicated, recurring revenue stream for affordable housing and homelessness services—not subject to annual council discretion or one-time grants.
Audit and Publish Shelter Spending
Full public accounting of every dollar spent on shelters and safe sleep sites, with per-person-per-night cost transparency published quarterly.
Redirect Tax Abatements to Housing
Require that any property tax abatement or urban renewal subsidy include an enforceable affordable housing set-aside or contribution to the housing trust fund.
Unlock Public Land for Housing
Inventory all city- and county-owned vacant parcels and fast-track suitable sites for quick-build affordable housing within 18 months.
Establish a Housing Justice Commission
Create a permanent citizen oversight body including people with lived experience of homelessness, empowered to review budgets, contracts, and outcomes.
No More Criminalization
End the practice of sweeping encampments without offering shelter. Stop using police and code enforcement to displace people who have nowhere else to go.
Email Your Elected Officials
One click sends your message to every member of the Eugene City Council and the Mayor. Edit the message below to share your personal story.
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Email will be sent to
- Kaarin Knudson (Mayor) - kknudson@eugene-or.gov
- Eliza Kashinsky (Ward 1) - ekashins@eugene-or.gov
- Matt Keating (Ward 2) - mkeating@eugene-or.gov
- Alan Zelenka (Ward 3) - azelenka@eugene-or.gov
- Jennifer Yeh (Ward 4) - jyeh@eugene-or.gov
- Mike Clark (Ward 5) - mclark@eugene-or.gov
- Greg Evans (Ward 6) - gevans@eugene-or.gov
- Lyndsie Leech (Ward 7) - lleech@eugene-or.gov
- Randy Groves (Ward 8) - rgroves@eugene-or.gov
- Lane County Board of Commissioners - lcbcccom@lanecountyor.gov
- Lane County Poverty & Homelessness Board - Eve.Gray@lanecountyor.gov (HHS Director) - Call 541-682-3798
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Lane County dropped the official Point-in-Time count. We're organizing an independent volunteer count throughout August 2026.
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