Exhaustion and Erosion of Identity in Homelessness

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In Portland, the presence of tents and shelters under highways and by sidewalks is a reminder of the city’s ongoing homelessness crisis. Makeshift camps are more than just a shelter for houseless individuals, it is a symbol of the crisis and emergency of thousands of people across Portland. 


Homelessness and Exhaustion

Homelessness is not just about not having a house or roof over your head, it’s about survival. The absence of necessities like food, water, and access to restrooms and showers exacerbates exhaustion and fatigue. In 2024, 40 cases of dysentery were reported, with a suspected actual number of higher cases among the city’s homeless population. A lack of public restrooms may be a main concern and contributor to the spread of dysentery. These types of illnesses and complications can further make it challenging for houseless individuals to engage in activities that could lead to stability.


Erosion of Identity

Beyond fatigue and exhaustion, houseless individuals are stripped of their sense of self-worth. There are over 5,000 unhoused individuals, indicating that there is a systemic failure to provide support to people. When someone loses access to basic necessities like food, hygiene, clean clothing, or a place to live, they could begin to lose their identity. Individuals who are houseless often lose their records of identification, like birth certificates and IDs, and without these, it becomes extremely difficult to apply for housing and jobs. Having this absence of documentation of your identity, even if it is just paper, allows for people to shun you and refuse to acknowledge you at all.


Mental Health and Stigma

Many unhoused individuals in Portland also face a mental health crisis alongside a housing crisis. Many struggle with untreated past traumas, like domestic and substance abuse, or depression. This lack of mental health care for houseless individuals deepens the houselessness crisis in Portland. Homeless individuals are often also criminalized or villainized, further pushing them into isolation. This stigma of houseless individuals reinforces a cycle of marginalization and despair in our communities. 


Solution

To move forward in shifting the narrative of houseless individuals and tackling the ongoing crisis in Portland, this issue must first be addressed and recognized by our society in Portland, not ignored or criminalized. Addressing homelessness requires more than just temporary solutions, it requires long-term commitment. This means Portland as a whole must expand access to mental health services, provide more public facilities to address the need for public bathrooms and showers, and end the encampment sweeps throughout the city. Most importantly, Portlanders need to shift their perspective on houseless individuals and see them as individuals rather than a nuisance in society. People need to acknowledge houseless individuals as fellow Portlanders who also deserve the same care and respect as everyone else. Homelessness is not just a housing crisis, it is also a public health crisis, a mental health crisis, and an identity crisis.


What You Can Do
The fight against homelessness starts with awareness, but it doesn’t end there. You can make a difference today.

👉 Learn more or donate to Street Roots

👉 Support affordable housing through JOIN

Sources

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/03/04/dysentery-outbreak-portland-oregon/
https://rollingout.com/2025/03/04/portland-dysentery-outbreak-crisis/

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