SALEM, Ore. – Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) unveils the County Profiles data dashboard, a tool that provides key data about housing dynamics in the state. The County Profiles aims to tell a comprehensive story about housing in Oregon while addressing questions frequently posed to the agency regarding affordable housing, home purchasing costs, and homelessness.
“Housing is a pivotal aspect of people’s lives and communities. We are excited to launch this new tool in helping us address complex housing issues decades in the making,” noted OHCS Director Andrea Bell. “As we strive to make data-informed decisions, we also recognize the best solutions come from local community members who have experienced the issues we are trying to solve.”
OHCS uses data to inform policy solutions. The agency created these profiles to provide information about various topics connected to housing, such as the race and gender of people living in poverty or the population of a specific county.
“As a community action program serving rural communities in Oregon, these county profiles will provide much needed data to inform our work and provide resources where necessary,” said Paula Hall, chief executive officer of CAPECO (Community Action Program of East Central Oregon). “Oftentimes rural counties and organizations don’t have the capacity to collect information that is key in helping us to continue to serve our communities.”
Each County Profile has five data sections:
- Population
- Poverty
- Homeownership
- Rental Housing
- Homelessness
The data is primarily sourced from the US Census Bureau’s annual surveys. The dashboard presents many of these statistics by race, ethnicity, and gender when the data is available. For example, through this data, we can see 66% of Oregonians who are white are homeowners while only 44% of Oregonians who are Hispanic/Latino/a/x are homeowners.
“Decades of research shows the impacts of institutional racism and racist policies that have resulted in disparities in housing outcomes, especially for Black and Native American communities,” said Director Bell. “For local governments, this data offers one way, amongst many, to facilitate shared progress so everyone has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.“
The dashboard will be updated annually and continue to evolve to improve transparency. Individuals, organizations, and policymakers are urged to explore the County Profiles and email feedback, questions, or recommendations to esearch@hcs.oregon.gov“>hcs_research@hcs.oregon.gov.
