Lane County is a place of abundance. We’re surrounded by natural beauty, world-class educational institutions, and lucky to have a community rich in innovation, culture, and compassion. But even the most vibrant communities are not immune to crisis, and today, Lane County is grappling with one of the most urgent and visible challenges of our time: widespread homelessness.

Lane County ranks among the highest in the nation for homelessness among similarly sized communities. More than 4,400 of our neighbors are unhoused, and over 75% of them are living without shelter. This crisis did not arrive overnight. And it’s not one we can solve with quick fixes or one that any single sector can solve on their own.

As the CEO of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, I didn’t expect that homelessness would become one of the most pressing issues of my tenure. But over the past several years, it’s become impossible to ignore the deepening impacts on our economy, our neighborhoods, and—most importantly—our people. In 2021, the Chamber took the unusual step of diving deep into this issue. We ultimately published the “State of our Homeless Crisis report”, not because we had all the answers, but because we believed the business community needed to better understand the challenges, so we could be part of the solution.

What we discovered in our research and in hundreds of interviews with service providers, government staff, nonprofit leaders, law enforcement, and unhoused individuals was clear: we need a strong public safety system, adequate shelter resources and strong nonprofits to provide addiction and behavioral health services to address the symptoms of homelessness. But if our goal is to solve this crisis and truly end homelessness in our community, we cannot arrest, shelter, or manage our way out of this crisis. We must build our way out. The root cause of our homeless crisis is a housing problem.

The data confirms it. In their book, Homelessness is a Housing Problem, researchers Gregg Colburn and Clayton Page Aldern examined why some cities face much higher rates of homelessness than others. Their analysis found that the strongest predictor isn’t poverty, mental illness, or substance use—it’s housing market conditions, particularly high costs and low vacancy rates.

Here in Eugene-Springfield, decades of underbuilding have led to a rental vacancy rate of just 3.5%—the lowest among Oregon’s major metros—and rising housing costs that put stable housing out of reach for too many. Addressing homelessness starts with addressing housing.

But this isn’t just a story about underproduction. It’s a story about coordination. About capacity. About gaps in our system and the shared recognition that no one organization—public, private, or nonprofit—can tackle this alone.

That’s why we joined forces with partners across every sector to form A.C.T. Now Lane. This coalition—Advancing Community Together—was created out of a simple but powerful idea: that collective impact, aligned goals, and cross-sector collaboration are our best chance at making real progress.

A.C.T. Now Lane is not just another plan. It’s a commitment. One rooted in the belief that Lane County can—and must—do better. Our shared Roadmap outlines the comprehensive approach needed to reduce unsheltered homelessness in the short term while investing in the housing, services, and system improvements required for long-term change.

We’re focused on:

• Dramatically increasing housing production across the income spectrum
• Expanding and maintaining shelter options for those who need a place to land
• Improving support services, employment pathways, and behavioral health responses
• Addressing street-level issues with compassion and accountability
• Strengthening the capacity of our nonprofit partners
• Advocating for policies and funding that support systemic change
• Rebuilding public trust through transparency, education, and engagement

From the business community’s perspective, this isn’t just a humanitarian issue. It’s an economic one. It affects worker retention, downtown revitalization, customer safety, and investor confidence. But more than that, it’s about who we are as a community. About whether we’re willing to come together, embrace our differences, to make sure that no one gets left behind.

This work is hard. It’s complex. But it’s also filled with hope. I see it every day—in the shelter providers who never give up on their clients, in the local governments working to fast-track housing, and in business leaders who are stepping up to support solutions.

We are not here to point fingers. We are here to roll up our sleeves and get to work. The Chamber helped found this coalition because we believe in practical, durable solutions. Because we know that economic vitality and community wellbeing are deeply intertwined. And because we believe that homelessness in Lane County can be rare, brief, and non-recurring, if we have the courage and coordination to make it so.

I invite you to be part of this movement. Whether you represent a business, a nonprofit, a local agency, or you’re simply a neighbor who cares, there’s a place for you in A.C.T. Now Lane.

We’re here. We’re ready. And together, we’re shaping the road ahead.

Conclusion

Homelessness is a crisis — but it’s also an opportunity to show what kind of community we want to be. One that turns away, or one that steps up. Your action, however small, helps create the kind of Lane County where everyone is seen, heard, and housed.