The homeless population in Multnomah County increased nearly 10 percent in the last two years: There are now at least 4,177 people without permanent homes on any given night in Portland, the latest survey shows.

Homeless advocates and city and county leaders have warned that, despite more money and attention to the problem, the housing crisis is still forcing many people onto the streets.

But some officials see signs of hope, pointing to more people sleeping in shelters or transitional housing than outside for the first time since 2005.

"We all need to work together to help people out of poverty and homelessness," Multnomah County Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury said in a statement. "Too many people are sleeping on our streets. But by investing in housing and wraparound services, we are making a difference in the lives of thousands of people every year."

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the results of the additional money invested last year and the pooling of city and county resources into the Joint Office of Homeless Services are showing.

"The challenges around homelessness are serious and varied," Wheeler said in a statement. "This report provides reason for optimism that our strategy is working."

The point-in-time count is a federal survey that must be done every two years. It's designed to gauge the effectiveness of a community's strategies to help homeless populations.

The anonymous survey doesn't answer why someone lives on the streets, but builds demographic trends tracking who's being displaced. It also likely undercounts homeless people because of the transient nature of the population and because it happens in winter, when many people try to find somewhere indoors to sleep. People also voluntarily participate, and some refuse or can't answer questions.

This year, January snowstorms and cold delayed the survey. Over a few days in February, outreach workers and county staff combed Portland, Gresham and the county fringes surveying homeless people in camps, vans and shelters. From 2017 on, the count will be conducted every year in Multnomah County.

The full county report on the results will be released in July. Portland State University, which the county hired to analyze the results, is still working on it.

The findings so far:

-- While the number of people without permanent housing increased from 2015 to 2017, fewer people are actually sleeping on the street – 1,668 -- a 12 percent drop. That's a level not seen since 2009.

Analysts attribute that to the city and county's focus on specific groups for priority in shelters, with reductions in the number of women, veterans and people of color sleeping on the street.

The survey showed a 31 percent increase in people staying in emergency shelters and transitional housing.

"The decline in the count of unsheltered individuals, despite ongoing challenges such as rapidly increasing housing costs and stagnant incomes for low-income households, likely reflects our community's significant expansion of prevention, housing placement, and emergency shelter capacity over the past two years," the report says.

-- Portland's overall numbers parallel those in cities with similar housing trends (rising rents, lack of low-income or affordable housing, low vacancy rates) and social service disparities (lack of employment opportunities, affordable health, mental health and addiction care).

In the time between the 2015 and 2017 count, Portland rent rose 20 times faster than the area's median income, now at $1,100 for a one-bedroom apartment. Federal disability and Social Security payments haven't kept pace with the cost of living increases.

King County and Seattle saw a 16 percent increase over 2015 in people without permanent housing. Los Angeles County showed a 30 percent increase and farther north in Oakland in Alameda County, the homeless population increased by 39 percent.

-- Portland's efforts to shelter more people also show up in smaller demographic niches. For instance, while the number of homeless adult women increased 16 percent from 2015, fewer are on the streets. The number of women in emergency shelter doubled -- which officials say is a sign that the Joint Office for Homeless Service's goal of getting more women into shelters is helping.

Half of women experiencing homelessness have been in domestic violence situations. The county didn't get good data on that question in 2017, so there isn't a comparison, but it tracks with national statistics.

Families also used shelters at a much higher rate than 2015, though the number of homeless families is basically the same. The county won't turn away any family with children that asks for shelter.

Chronically homeless people also showed up in shelters more than ever before, despite the total population rising by 24 percent total.

-- One of the fastest-growing demographics is people with physical or mental disabilities or those with substance abuse issues. From 2015, the number jumped 16 percent of all homeless people to make up more than 60 percent. For people living on the street and veterans, the number reached up to nearly 72 percent.

-- People of color also continue to be one of the largest segments of the homeless population. While they make up more than 40 percent of the total homeless population, people of color represent 29 percent of Multnomah County's residents.

That's taking a toll on some communities, according to the report. Native Americans experience homelessness at four times the percentage of the Native American population in Multnomah County.

African Americans and Asian Americans also are disproportionately homeless. Both groups are homeless at rates twice their population in Multnomah County. However, the city and county prioritized helping African American people after the 2015 count and reduced their homelessness by eight percentage points.

-- Molly Harbarger

mharbarger@oregonian.com

503-294-5923

@MollyHarbarger