Renewed efforts to provide housing for homeless veterans proved successful in 2015, Multnomah County officials reported Tuesday.

Officials report that 695 homeless veterans were placed in permanent housing last year, surpassing their goal of 690. But that doesn't mean officials are ready to declare victory, as more veterans are expected to fall into homelessness in the year ahead.

The goal had long been publicized by city and county leaders, who formed the A Home for Everyone coalition. Mayor Charlie Hales, in last year's State of the City speech, said they'd "house every last one of our homeless vets" by Veterans Day. Officials settled on 690 as the appropriate target.

But the deadline to achieve that goal got pushed back to the end of the year. Success was slow in the first six months, when just 324 veterans found housing, well below the needed pace. Some landlords weren't as accommodating as politicians expected.

In the final six months, 371 veterans received housing assistance. December's tally -- 64 -- ensured that officials inched past their target.

-- Brad Schmidt

503-294-7628

@cityhallwatch