2026-09-02 · housing
Federal scrutiny compels Multnomah County to change how it prioritizes people for housing
Multnomah County deleted three questions related to race, sexual orientation and preferred language from the survey it uses to determine who qualifies for subsidized housing, after federal officials opened investigations into the county's screening practices and a disabled applicant filed a discrimination lawsuit. The survey, administered by trained providers to anyone seeking housing support, generally requires a score of at least 16 points to qualify for the county's priority housing pool. A county spokesperson disputed the characterization that the tool scored applicants by race, writing that it "has never included any scored questions about race."
A Justice Department official announced an investigation into the county's housing-support practices in May 2026, and HUD announced its own Fair Housing Act investigation of the screening tool the same month.