With no laws mandating caps on yearly rent increases in Oregon, which for three years has been US's top moving destination, homelessness is increasing.

A city of bridges, Portland is full of places where people who are homeless can find dry, covered shelter from the Pacific North-west downpour. But lately, Portland is facing a housing crisis of a different sort as shelter for the homeless has become anything but discreet. New communities of vinyl pop tents and makeshift camps have been popping up everywhere, with many spilling out into city parks.

As a quick fix to address the prevalence of homelessness, Mayor Charlie Hales announced a plan this week to manage "camping" throughout the city for safe sleeping. Homeless will now be allowed to sleep overnight on sidewalks, with a sleeping bag and a tarp, while tents will be acceptable in certain areas from 9pm to 7am. Up to 10 city-sanctioned campsites with a couple hundred disaster-relief pods will be established through nonprofit service providers. Cars and RVs for homeless to camp in will be permitted in designated areas, such as church parking lots, and at least three or four spaces for more temporary shelter are being located. Though largely experimental, the plan has been given a six month trial run. But as a strategy, it's markedly different from other west coast cities, who have been adopting a strategy of clearing out visible homeless camps in recent years.

[...] Portland saw rents appreciate nearly 15% in 2015 – the highest increase in the nation – with an average rent of $1,689 per month, according to real estate company Zillow. Five years ago, it was around $980. And rents are only trending upwards. Zillow is forecasting that Portland will be among the nation's top six rental appreciations. Apart from Denver and Buffalo, the other cities are all on the west coast: San Francisco, Seattle, and San Jose. The forces driving Portland's rents are far from few. The city has a less than 3% vacancy rate. Meanwhile, the Portland Housing Bureau said 85% of all rental units currently being built are luxury.