Homelessness: Causes, Affects, and What We Can do to Help

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Homelessness: Causes, Affects, and What We Can do to Help 





Many people are aware that homelessness is a progressing issue in not just the Multnomah County and Portland, but all of Oregon and Washington as well. Both of our states are among the five that have the highest percentage of unsheltered homeless people in the U.S., according to the 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report.  One of the main reasons for such a high percentage of homelessness in our state and city is the inadequate housing supply that is paired with rising rent prices. So many people in Oregon have been forced into financial instability, usually an even greater one than they were in already, due to the rise in housing costs that are driven by the undersupply of housing stock. If our community, and even society as a whole, could solve the housing crisis that has been evolving, we would create a stronger economy and a more financially stable community, while also helping people get back on their feet and achieve a much better way of living.



A lot of us think of homelessness as a problem that's unrelated to them; we detach ourselves from this problem and consider it something that will get solved without us. This is one of the primary reasons why this issue isn't being solved as efficiently or as quickly as it probably should be. Homelessness is a public issue, one of the whole community. Members or our society are living outside in tents, on the street, with no access to basic resources such as food, a bed, clean clothes, or a bathroom. As a community, we should all try to strive to help these people with what we can. 


People that are struggling with homelessness were faced with even more complications and difficulties when the pandemic hit. Social services became very limited, many evictions were filed, and the access to medicine and healthcare in general was very scarce. Thankfully, our community has been working hard to help people that were either already without a home or risked homelessness due to COVID-19. There have been local rent forgiveness policies put into place and more programs and projects have been developed to bring the fight against homelessness back to Portland. 


Portland is an incredibly compassionate city, with many non-profit organizations, local businesses, and lots of community support that are working very hard to help those that are in need. The city has been working on increasing shelter space as well as increasing and expanding services. There are also many hunger relief programs, as well as programs for employment and emergency shelter. We, as a community, have to do our share in aiding these organizations and supporting them with what can. We can donate our finances, resources, time and effort to help our city and our community flourish, grow, and improve. Join a non-profit organization, project or program to make a change in the lives of the people in our community. Who knows, maybe one day you'll start your own non-profit? 

Here are some links to join programs and non-profits, and to donate and volunteer:


Published by: Mariia Tyshevska

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