Vulnerable People and Places Blog

Image courtesy of Military Connection He goes to war. She fights for the United States. He gets injured while serving our country. She suffers from PTSD from serving our country. He is homeless and disabled. She could be homeless and disabled as it becomes hard to work a civilian job.   This is the truth for so many brave Americans once they depart the military. In fact, half of all homeless veterans have disabilities (DNVF.org). Homelessness is not uncommon for veterans. In Oregon alone, it is estimated that there are at least 1,300 homeless veterans (Oregon.gov). That is more than 10% of the entire homeless population in Oregon. This suggests that if one has served in the military, they are more likely to be homeless.   When this type of quantitative analysis is observed, veterans are not getting the support and critical resources they need. The government utilizes the Transition Assistance Program to help service members and their spouses prepare for civilian life, however,...

No one can deny that there is currently an affordable housing crisis throughout the nation and drastically within the city of Portland, Oregon. This has been happening for the past several years within the city, and the diaspora of people moving to the state has caused housing prices to rise even further. On top of the rising cost of housing, we were hit by the pandemic, causing all sorts of havoc that caused many people to lose their homes. Even though there seems no end to this housing crisis, there are options available to help the homeless find a place to sleep. One option is transitional housing locations; transitional housing locations provide a place to sleep for the homeless for a limited period of time, this could vary depending on the program and location but it is to help the people from homelessness and as a stepping stone in some cases into a better home. Transitional housing locations also can provide vital information which can further help people suffering from the home...

  Pallet, a Washington social purpose company has revolutionized the homeless shelter, and stands as the most impactful organization to lift people off the streets. The new 64 square foot shelters can be built in as little as one hour, about 40 shelters in one week, and cost only $5,495 each. These cutting edge pallet shelters last over 10 years, contain a fire extinguisher, CO monitor, smoke detector, a secure ventilation system, locks, windows, lights, a structural floor capable of being placed on any surface, air conditioning, heating, electricity, and two beds. Additionally, these shelters can withstand winds of up to 110 mph, 25 lb. per square feet of snow, and they are easily cleaned and disassembled. Pallet has now built shelter communities across the US, including 11 active sites in Oregon. You can see these shelters in Old Town off NW Hoyt St, N Mississippi Ave near Fremont Bridge, and towards Hawthorne next to SE Stephens St. CEO and Founder, Amy King, realized that ...

       Over the course of the last year, there has been political turmoil in Portland, to say the least: protests and riots erupted after an African American was wrongfully murdered by a police officer, and a pandemic pillaged millions of jobs and left thousands in extreme poverty. These matters, in addition to the already pressing issues of climate change, outrageous inequality, and preposterous political cynicism have filled the hearts of Portlanders with anger and confusion. It is more than fair to say, we are desperate for foundational government change. But, how can we make a difference? In this passage, we identify the most effective and easy ways citizens can make a real difference in the world. 1. Educate Yourself. First and foremost, it is absolutely critical that you are open to learning and changing your opinion. Many people have stayed away from politics and important matters because they believe the learning is too strenuous, and they feel safe with wha...

Finding a permanent solution for those experiencing homelessness has always been an enormous challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic has made those efforts even more difficult. Traditional shelters are not ideal when it becomes necessary to maintain physical distance from others. Building new shelters to meet this need is very expensive and takes almost two years to complete. So, what to do? Welcome to Project Turnkey. This program, administered by the Oregon Community Foundation, was established last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the wildfire’s that left many without homes. The program leverages federal and state funds to purchase motels and hotels in counties across Oregon to be used as emergency shelters and transitional housing.   “Project Turnkey reflects an enormous and collaborative statewide effort to quickly deploy an innovative solution for a complex set of challenges for communities facing increased houseless impacts,” said Max Williams, President and CEO of the...

There’s a common misconception that the houseless community is lazy; that they could easily get out of their predicament if they actually went out and got a job, but they’re choosing to remain on the streets and beg for money. Disregarding the idea that a person would willingly choose to beg with the slim chance that they’d get more money than working at a stable job, there are several barriers put in place that seem to stigmatize those in the houseless community. Most employers require applicants to put forward a home address, or just a mailing address in general, as part of their contact information. Not only does this barrier show the discrimination employers have towards those in the houseless community, but it’s also effectively a catch-22. If a houseless individual needs a mailing address, they’ll need money, but they can’t earn money unless they gain employment, but they can’t get employment if their employer requires a mailing address, etc. etc. In addition to that, there’s the...

In 2018, the Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals issued a ruling that prohibited Idaho—and the other states in the court's jurisdiction, including Oregon—from penalizing people for sleeping on public property if there was no alternative shelter available. Though at the time the Martin v. Boise ruling was seen as a major win among houseless folks and advocacy organizations, impacted cities have been slow to shed policies that directly contradict the decision. The upholding of these anti-camping policies has led to expensive lawsuits in several cities across Oregon. The Oregon House Bill 3115 was written as a way of codifying the Ninth Circuits’ ruling. More specifically, the bill aims to: prevent more lawsuits by requiring cities to update their outdated policies, and enshrine homeless rights by making state statutes reflect the 2018 ruling. However, despite what the passage of this bill signifies on its face, many people who advocate for houseless folks still seem to suggest that it ...

On one hand, the number of homeless people in the US is increasing since the Great Recession (the early 2010s), mainly due to the housing crisis that has ravaged the West Coast. On the other hand, we have officials who reported 116 deaths in Oregon and 78 in Washington after the extreme heatwaves in the normally moderate region. However, we still don’t know how many homeless people died in the heatwave in Portland. Portland may have trees, parks, shade, and fountains more affluent neighbors enjoy, but the city still lacks impoverished communities. Meanwhile, many homeless just found out the heatwaves warning recently, and they didn’t know what to do with it. Even though the city provided a cooling shelter set up during an unprecedented heatwave, they still forgot how to solve the situation for Portland's homeless. In the end, you can donate your time by volunteering at cooling shelters, cool towels, or cold water for the homeless.  To learn more about the donation go to:  http...