UMVA has learned that Multnoman County, Oregon, has unleashed a controversial points‑based screening system that hands extra priority for housing aid to people based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity.
The tool, known as the Multnomah Services and Screening Tool (MSST) and rolled out in early 2024, decides who slips into the county’s limited housing pool through its Coordinated Access process.
Instead of measuring traditional need—such as length of homelessness, survivor status from domestic violence, or the presence of young children—the MSST awards points to groups labeled “over‑represented” among the local homeless population, including non‑white households and LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the rubric can grant up to five points to applicants who are non‑white, non‑straight and speak English as a second language, while a survivor of domestic violence with a six‑year‑old child receives only four points, even after a year of homelessness.
Additional points are handed out for “interest in LGBTQ services” (one point) and “interest in culturally specific services” (two points), the latter tied directly to race‑based programs.
The county’s own Priority Housing Pool FAQ declares the system is “designed to prioritize … BIPOC households, LGBTQIA2S+, and people with disabilities,” framing the approach as a corrective measure for systemic disparities.
Legal experts have flagged the policy as a potential violation of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Protection Clause, arguing that it creates a two‑tiered system that favors immutable characteristics over genuine need.
Investigators from the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division have opened a probe, signaling that the county could face a lawsuit if the scoring scheme remains unchanged.
County officials defend the model, insisting that every program remains open to all residents and that the points system merely addresses the overrepresentation of certain groups in homelessness statistics.
Yet Multnomah County wrestles with one of the nation’s worst homelessness crises, where per‑capita rates and death counts are climbing, and data shows the majority of homeless individuals are still white.
