Homelessness in Eugene: An Exploration of Our City’s Most Pressing Issue

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Date

2020

Authors

Eggiman, Matthew Warren

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of Oregon

Abstract

Eugene Oregon has the highest rate of homelessness of any city in the United States. There are a number of factors contributing to this unfortunate designation, including drug addiction and mental illness. While these public health concerns are often (correctly) associated with homelessness, they exist in every city and do not explain Eugene’s exceptional status. Therefore, this writing will focus on the relationship between municipal regulations, namely development impact fees and zoning laws, and the high rate of homelessness in Eugene. In order to conduct this analysis, the thesis will be broken down into Three primary sections. First, this writing will explore the state of homelessness on a national and regional level in order to outline broader regional trends and contextualize Eugene’s situation. In the next section this essay will analyze existing development impact fees and zoning laws as well as relevant economic data to determine the effect local regulations are having on the homelessness population. The last component will be a proposal for regulatory reform aimed at curtailing the growth of homelessness in Eugene.

Description

37 pages

Keywords

Homelessness, Regulations, Homelessness, Zoning Laws, Municipal Fees, Rent

Citation