Think Out Loud

Central Oregon records steep decline in people experiencing homelessness, according to latest count

CENTRAL OREGON RECORDED A NEARLY 20% DROP IN PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. THAT’S ACCORDING TO AN ANNUAL POINT IN TIME COUNT THAT TOOK PLACE THIS YEAR FROM JAN. 27 THROUGH FEB. 2 IN CROOK, DESCHUTES AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES AND THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF WARM SPRINGS.   ELIZA WILSON IS THE CHAIR OF THE HOMELESS LEADERSHIP COALITION [https://cohomeless.org/] IN CENTRAL OREGON AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ROOTEDHOMES [https://www.rootedhomes.org/about], AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER BASED IN BEND. WILSON SAYS THIS HAS BEEN THE LARGEST YEAR-OVER-YEAR DECLINE SHE HAS SEEN IN OVER 20 YEARS OF HELPING WITH THE ANNUAL SNAPSHOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE REGION. SHE ATTRIBUTES THIS UNPRECEDENTED DECLINE TO OPENING NEW SHELTERS AND EXPANDING SHELTER BED CAPACITY IN COMMUNITIES LIKE MADRAS, BEND, REDMOND AND PRINEVILLE, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND CASE MANAGEMENT TO HELP PEOPLE TRANSITION INTO STABLE HOUSING.    WILSON JOINS US FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE PROGRESS THAT’S BEING MADE IN CENTRAL OREGON TO TACKLE HOMELESSNESS AND THE WORK THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE.

ODOT reflects on failed gas tax and future of transportation funding

OREGONIANS OVERWHELMINGLY VOTED AGAINST [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/19/oregon-gas-tax-lags-early-returns-primary-election/] MEASURE 120, A PROPOSAL MEANT TO ADDRESS FUNDING SHORTFALLS FOR THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.   KNOWN AS THE GAS TAX, THE MEASURE WOULD HAVE INCREASED THE STATE’S GAS TAX BY 6 CENTS PER GALLON, TEMPORARILY HIKE PAYROLL TAX, AND DOUBLE FEES FOR REGISTRATIONS AND TITLES. WITHOUT THE TAX, THE AGENCY ONLY HAS FUNDING TO SUPPORT CORE SERVICES UNTIL THE END OF 2027. DANIEL PORTER IS ODOT'S FINANCE AND BUDGET DIVISION ADMINISTRATOR. HE JOINS US TO SHARE HOW HE’S THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE AGENCY’S BUDGET.

Oregon Community Foundation investing $100 million to build the state’s housing supply

The housing crisis is worse than ever, and it’s one that many elected representatives and nonprofits have been working on for some time. Last month Gov. Kotek signed a package of housing related bills [https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/22/oregon-governor-signs-housing-bills-addressing-affordability-urban-boundary-growth-boundaries/] into law. They allow cities to expand their urban growth boundaries, protect existing affordable housing and provide financing to encourage the construction of new housing. Estimates put the need for new homes at 29,500 a year to keep up with population growth and the demand for housing.   Constructing new housing for middle income families is at the heart of the Oregon Community Foundation’s announcement of its $100 million “Building Hope Fund.” [https://oregoncf.org/news/ocf-announces-building-hope-fund-to-invest-in-middle-income-housing-in-oregon] OCF says it’s a kind of down payment to spur even more investment from other sources to create a fund that will make affordable loans to developers so they can build middle income housing. OCF’s goal is 10,000 new homes built all around Oregon in the next 10 years. Lisa Mensah [https://oregoncf.org/about/our-people/staff/lisa-mensah] is the President and CEO of the Foundation. She joins us to explain how she sees the loan program working and how it fits into their extensive and longstanding granting program for housing and other community needs throughout the state.

OSU and UP researchers on medical mistrust in the age of social media

A RECENT STUDY [https://www.pewresearch.org/data-labs/2026/05/07/trust-in-health-and-wellness-influencers/] BY PEW RESEARCH SHOWED THAT HALF OF U.S. ADULTS UNDER 50 GET HEALTH AND WELLNESS INFORMATION FROM INFLUENCERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND PODCASTS. ONE IN FIVE PEOPLE SURVEYED SAID THE INFORMATION THEY GET FROM INFLUENCERS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE INFORMATION FROM MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. ASHLEY HASS [https://www.up.edu/directory/Ashley-Hass.html] IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MARKETING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND, WHO FOCUSES ON DIGITAL MARKETING, SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS, AND THE DIGITAL WELLNESS OF CONSUMERS. JONATHAN GARCIA [https://health.oregonstate.edu/directory/jonathan-garcia] DIRECTS THE PUBLIC HEALTH GRADUATE PROGRAM AT OSU. HE STUDIES MEDICAL MISTRUST AND MISINFORMATION. THEY JOIN US TO SHARE MORE ON THE IMPACT OF THE WELLNESS INDUSTRY ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.

Portland businesses hit hard by tariffs await refunds months after US Supreme Court ruling

IN FEBRUARY, A SPLIT RULING BY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN THE SWEEPING TARIFFS PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD IMPOSED EARLY LAST YEAR UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY ECONOMIC POWERS ACT. AS A RESULT, LAST MONTH THE CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION AGENCY OPENED AN ONLINE PORTAL FOR IMPORTERS AND CUSTOMS BROKERS SEEKING REFUNDS FOR THE ESTIMATED $166 BILLION IN TARIFFS COMPANIES HAD PAID TO IMPORT GOODS.    SOME BUSINESSES HAVE STARTED RECEIVING THEIR REFUNDS WHILE OTHERS, INCLUDING PORTLAND-BASED STEVEN SMITH TEAMAKER [https://www.smithtea.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo7Cfvs_LGB2WZnsx7Qq-ijJ4U2cLdnU1eNGYBuF2GvR8OX6ump], ARE STILL WAITING. AS THE PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL [https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2026/04/22/tariff-refunds-smith-tea-revant-wyden.html]REPORTED LAST MONTH, 90% OF ITS INGREDIENTS ARE IMPORTED, MAKING THE COMPANY SUBJECT TO VOLATILE TARIFF RATES THAT ROCKETED AS HIGH AS 50% AT ONE POINT LAST YEAR. CEO DARREN MARSHALL SAYS THAT THE COMPANY SPENT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN UNANTICIPATED TARIFFS, WHICH ITS CUSTOMS BROKER HAS FILED ON ITS BEHALF TO RECOUP. REVANT OPTICS [https://www.revantoptics.com/], A PORTLAND MANUFACTURER OF REPLACEMENT LENSES FOR SUNGLASSES THAT LAUNCHED ITS OWN LINE OF SUNGLASSES LAST JUNE, IS OWED NEARLY $700,000 IN DUTIES IT PAID ON IMPORTS FROM CHINA AND TAIWAN, ACCORDING TO CEO AND FOUNDER JASON BOLT.    MARSHALL AND BOLT JOIN US FOR MORE DETAILS, ALONG WITH CHRIS MCKINNEY, PRESIDENT OF BROWNSTONE INTERNATIONAL. THE PORTLAND-BASED CUSTOMS BROKER HAS FILED CLAIMS FOR TARIFF REFUNDS ON BEHALF OF STEVEN SMITH TEAMAKER AND DOZENS OF OTHER CLIENTS.