First, I want to say,  Portland, sixty years ago was a beautiful town. Over the years when I have visited, I discovered that there was a huge homeless population that existed in the downtown area near the railroad tracks. It was about 25 or 30 years when I noticed people sleeping on the street and under the overpasses. I still love Portland, I buried my mom there, but the homeless problem there is what Anchorage can end up like unless a proactive solution or solutions are found and implemented. 
Honolulu, Hawaii has a huge homeless problem. They are trying to figure out what to do as well. They resent the folks who come there from the Mainland who become part of the homeless. 
Folks with mental health issues need to receive treatment, have case workers and a safe place to live. Folks with substance abuse issues are harder to help unless they want to stop the substance abuse, be able to get treatment right away, and have sober after care places to live. Living on the street is brutal.