Is there still help from community after ODOT cuts funding for homeless camp sweeps, cleanup in Portland

-
The Oregon Department of Transportation has halted its $4 million annual payments to the City of Portland for removing homeless camps from state-owned properties after the state legislature failed to pass a transportation funding package. In announcing the cut, ODOT cited the need to balance its own budget and warned of possible layoffs within the agency. While contracted cleanup efforts will continue, they’ll operate at reduced levels, though a previously approved $900,000 fencing project to block camping near I-405 is still slated to move forward.

Despite the scale-back in state-funded sweeps, Portland’s unsheltered residents can still turn to several community-led resources. Hygiene4All offers a sanitized shower trailer, clothing and bedding exchanges, and on-site health workers who provide first aid, enroll guests in food assistance and health insurance, and make medical referrals. They’re open Sundays and Thursdays from 3 pm to 9 pm, plus Tuesdays and Fridays from 3 pm to 7 pm at 824 SE MLK Jr. Blvd.

Portland also supports a network of tiny-home villages and meal programs that provide stability, privacy, and wraparound services. St. Johns Village hosts 19 sleeping pods with on-site case management, while Kenton Women’s Village offers 20 pods alongside mental-health care, job assistance, and cooking lessons. Beacon Village PDX focuses on employment support and community building. Meanwhile, Blanchet House serves up to 700 hot meals daily, distributes clothing and hygiene items, and runs recovery programs, mental-health support, and housing referrals—including a nine-month life-skills program at Blanchet Farm.


    This service provides any personal hygiene for homeless. From sanitized shower trailer to clothing and bedding exchange, it also provides health workers who can provide simple first aid, sign people up for food assistance and health insurance, and refer people to medical appointments.

Hours of Operation: 
At 824 SE MLK Jr Blvd (Corner of SE MLK and Belmont)

Sunday: 3-9pm
Tuesday: 3-7pm
Thursday: 3-9pm
Friday: 3-7pm

Alternative Shelter Communities
Portland supports several tiny home villages that offer more stability than traditional shelters:
St. Johns Village: 19 sleeping pods with on-site case management
Kenton Women’s Village: 20 pods for women, with mental health care, job assistance, and cooking lessons
Beacon Village PDX: Offers employment support and community building
These sites provide safety, privacy, and wraparound services to help residents transition into permanent housing.


Blanchet House serves up to 700 hot meals daily, along with:
Clothing and hygiene items
Recovery programs for men
Mental health support and housing referrals
They also run Blanchet Farm, a 9-month recovery program focused on sobriety and life skills.


--Hai Nguyen
Location: 2831 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Camp Clearing on the West Coast

-
 On The west Coast homelessness is a serious problem. When considering the homeless crises, Los Angeles is one of the places that comes to mind. Homelessness sweeps beyond “Skid Row” in Los Angeles, in fact it has become widespread throughout California. As of July 25 th, 2024, Gov. Newsom has issued an order to remove all homeless camps in the state of California. Will this be beneficial, will it be improving the lives of homeless individuals, or will it be another pointless tax on Californians? Improving to the lives of homeless individuals; appears to be uncertain as far as we know. Gov. Newsom has decided to invest $24 billion to clean up homeless camps. Gov. Newsom said, “We must act with urgency to address dangerous encampments which subject unsheltered individuals living in them to extreme weather, fires, predatory and criminal activity, and widespread substance use, harming their health, safety and well-being, and which also threaten the safety and viability of nearby busin...
Read more

Access to Healthcare for Homeless Individuals with Disabilities

-
Image
Photo by Sarwer e Kainat Welfare from Pexels. Healthcare access is still a major obstacle for the homeless, especially those with disabilities. The complexity of homelessness and the obstacles faced by people with disabilities in Oregon and elsewhere pose a serious threat to public health. This blog post examines the particular difficulties and potential solutions to enhance access to healthcare for this vulnerable population. Unique Healthcare Challenges for Homeless Individuals with Disabilities A study by Oxford Academic published in "Social Work" highlights several key barriers to healthcare access for homeless individuals with disabilities. These barriers include: Absence of Accessible Services Inadequate care results from many healthcare facilities' lack of capacity to address the unique requirements of people with disabilities. Transportation Problems It can be challenging for homeless people to regularly attend medical visits since they frequently lack access to...
Read more

Hostile Architecture: A Harmful Solution

-
Image
  As homelessness starts to rise in many states, many actions have started to take place, one of them being hostile architecture.   Hostile architecture is an architectural design intended to deter certain activities and restrict people from using that public space. Hostile architecture goes unnoticed by most people, as they don't affect them. Some examples of hostile architecture involve: Armrests on benches Curved or slanted benches Rocky pavements Bike racks and planter boxes in a line Window sills with spikes In Portland, Oregon, the hostile architecture are focused towards the homeless and preventing camping. Since 2013, the state agency has spent over $1 million on what is described as "rockscape landscaping" to keep homeless campers off property owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation. In downtown Portland, NW Broadway, dozens of lined up bike racks were installed in. The area isn't an active destination, so the need for that many bike racks i...
Read more