Vulnerable People and Places Blog

      Blog by Eric Linderme   With the homeless crisis on the rise in the city of Portland, there is one option that can be helpful for those in need. Introducing...211 Info. 211 is a non profit community response team that is funded through the state of Oregon. Their mission is to help those anyone in need of services, resources and other needs. 211 believes that all people should be able to have access to all resources and needs when faced in a time of crisis. 211 is purely online and phone only but it's services help create a better lifestyle for those who need it most. While this resource is mainly to find outlets, 211 is the first step in seeking help for any service. Whether it be on finding shelter, food, medical coverage and others, 211 is a great resource to find any information on any community resources. From there, any information, resource or insight will help path a better direction for anyone who calls on their hotline. This service is al...

Mental health and homelessness Mental healthcare can be extremely difficult to access and maintain for people with unstable housing. There are many barriers such as cost, transportation, and lack of resources. While  25-30% of homeless individuals have severe mental illness , there is another population that is often overlooked, those with executive dysfunction. What is executive function? According to the  Cleveland Clinic,  executive function is made up of 3 parts: working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition control. Working memory is your ability to retain and process information. Cognitive flexibility is the ability to adapt to change and multi-task. Inhibition control is the ability to control and maintain your thoughts, emotions, and focus.   With executive dysfunction, any, or all, of these parts may not work properly.  Photo from Authentically Emily Ellie Atkins , a manager and safeguarding lead for a social work team in Manchester, noticed man...

  When Home Isn’t Safe: The Link Between Homelessness and Domestic Violence in Oregon                          Image credit: AI-generated image created using OpenAI’s DALL·E (2026).      In the Portland metro region, throughout Columbia County, and across Oregon, homelessness has tragically grown year after year. On a single night in early 2025, more than 27,000 Oregonians were counted as experiencing homelessness , a 35 % increase from just one year prior, and more than 60 % of them were living unsheltered in places not meant for human habitation like streets, vehicles, and campsites.      These numbers don’t just represent housing insecurity, they represent families, neighbors, friends, and far too many survivors of violence with no safe place to rebuild their lives.      At SAFE of Columbia County, we rarely see homelessness as just a housing issue. For coun...

Empowering Marginalized Individuals with Tangible and Supportive Outcomes  Envisioning an opportunistic future for underserved individuals and communities. Portland provides a wide range of entertainment, activities both indoor and outside and communal understanding to keep Portland safe, fun and supportive. Among the hundreds of non-profits run from Portland, some small groups can be found tucked away in the inner east side boroughs nestled with community. One of this non-profits is Cultivate Initiatives. At this organization, their mission stands to ensure and set a vision for safe, supportive communities for underserved groups. Giving people more opportunities and resources when in housing or economic crisis.  Their missions is to work with people and businesses within East Portland who can help support and empower individuals and communities in need through an inclusive range of services.  To support those in financial and housing hardships, their initiatives focus on...

1 of every 14 Oregonians is a veteran, and 40% of homeless men nationally are veterans. In 2023, veterans made up 7.8% of Oregon's homeless population. Do Good Multnomah is a sober housing community for homeless veterans that centers underserved veterans as a marginalized community. They offer low-barrier, alternative shelter, and permanent housing through various programs such as  Veteran's Village in Clackamas County  and  Findley Commons 35-unit Veteran apartment complex . Part of Do Good 's mission to provide permanent housing includes assistance with Portland's  Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Program. Per their website: As of 2026, Do Good's North Portland drop-in center has referred nearly   half of St. Johns' documented houseless population to long-term shelter or housing. Do Good Multnomah: sober housing for homeless veterans in North Portland Sources: https://www.dogoodmultnomah.org/about https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?a...

Have you ever wondered why there are so many unhoused people across Portland, Oregon? Most of us have, because Portland’s homelessness crisis is constantly discussed in statistics, policy debates, local media, and everyday conversations. But the issue with this widespread attention is that it often minimizes the complexity of real human experiences. Curiosity alone can’t answer the deeper questions, only the people who have lived through homelessness can. One helpful initiative addressing the matter is the creative content produced by Welcome Home Coalition , a local network of organizations, advocates, and neighbors. The short film Finding Home: Portland's Homelessness Crisis from the People Who've Lived It , available online, reminds us that the most powerful understanding comes from listening directly to those with lived experience, showing how creative content can serve as a tool for public education and empathy. It’s also a form of justice, a shared space for storytelling,...

Your old vehicle is worth more than you think! How ‘Drive Away Hunger’ can turn your car into meals, shelter, and vocational training for the disadvantaged. Since 1949 Portland Rescue Mission has been helping people struggling with hunger, homelessness, and addiction take steps towards recovery. Too often individuals facing job insecurity and housing instability are neglected and undervalued for the intrinsic value and capability they possess. WIth programs such as ‘Drive Away Hunger’, Portland Rescue Mission helps rehabilitate individuals facing systemic failure through direct vocational training, while providing regular meals and shelter. About 81% of  participants in restoration programs by Portland Rescue Mission remain free from addictions and in housing up to four years after program graduation. Each Portland Rescue Mission program meets people where they are at. Drive Away Hunger is no exception. Drive Away Hunger is a car donation and sales nonprofit dedicated to changing l...