Vulnerable People and Places Blog

  "Mutual aid" is a term described by author Dean Spade as collective coordination to meet each other’s needs, usually stemming from an awareness that the systems we have in place are not going to meet them. In case of those experiencing homelessness, people in their communities have relied upon acts of mutual aid to supply tents, food, DIY heaters, sleeping bags, medicine, or small cash funds in order to have temporary housing in a motel for a limited amount of time.      There is a long history of people doing mutual aid acting as an effective means of mending a crisis at hand.  It is often spontaneous and fills in the gap of where typical government social services would be.  Whether it’s community members distributing masks, handing out clean drinking water, or helping feed local camps around your neighborhood, it is an act of solidarity that aids both the housed and the houseless. After checking the food and essential items that were delivered to h...

  Sock it to homelessness        Many of us see the homeless issue in our community, it really does not matter where you live, we see it all over. This week in Oregon we had some pretty cold and snowy weather and it really got me thinking about something I was told and a way that not only I could help but it is something so simple that almost everyone could help (we will get to that point in a minute). We all see the homeless issue no matter where we go, we see it on the corner, people asking for help, we see it on the sides on the streets, tarps, blankets, and shopping cart (filled with all a persons, belongings, and we see the homeless camps setup almost anywhere, but that is just the tip. I feel myself get overwhelmed when asked for help, I feel the what little give or help might not do much. I know a lot people feel the same way, I know people feel that maybe the help will be used in the wrong way (money given for food will be used for drugs), but we do not ...

As the houseless crisis seems to worsen in developing countries, and as climate change continues to alter our planet, people who live exposed to the elements are subject to new and worsening impacts. Four major environmental changes are going to put vulnerable houseless individuals at higher health risks include increased heat waves, increased air pollution, increased severity of floods and storms, and the changing distribution of the West Nile Virus.  Millions of people experience homelessness around the world, whether that be complete lack of housing or by using shelters. Chronic diseases are often more prominent within these communities, often times because of the lack of health care available. Substance abuse, cognitive impairment, mental health issues, and extreme poverty exacerbate this. Illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases are major causes of death within homeless communities. Chronic lung conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema ca...

Existing policies are failing to address rising homelessness.    In our home of Portland, Oregon, the homeless crisis seems to be getting deeper no matter what  “solutions” we seem to throw at it. In her article of 11/18/22, Nadia Razzhigaeva asks the important question “can a universal basic income help address homelessness?      OK… throwing money at everyone will not solve the problem all together. But enormous money is being spent on the homeless just in emergency room visits and policing and this is due to just being homeless and living on the streets, not illness alone. Remember, living on the streets is a perfect place for violent crimes and medical emergencies that may not have become emergencies with simple, regular physician visits. Now they cost multiples more at the emergency room. We can only solve this by providing more social housing and helping with rent control. The universal income will provide for basic needs and relie...

In recent years, Portland has faced a growing homelessness crisis, with the number of unsheltered people in the city increasing significantly. In response to this, the city has established sanctioned homeless camp locations, which provide a safe and regulated environment for people experiencing homelessness to live in. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits and challenges of these sanctioned homeless camp locations in Portland. Portland is known for its progressive policies and dedication to providing support for those in need. One area where this is especially true is in the city's approach to addressing homelessness. In recent years, Portland has implemented a number of sanctioned homeless camp locations throughout the city. These camps are intended to provide a safe, secure space for those experiencing homelessness, while also helping to address the issue of unsheltered individuals in the city. Sanctioned homeless camps are designated areas where people experiencing hom...

Houselessness is a complex issue that affects millions of people around the world. According to the New York Times, it’s only getting worse . Unsheltered individuals face a variety of difficulties that are often compounded by issues such as low access to mental health care, substance abuse, and trauma. These problems not only make it difficult for unsheltered people to find stability, but they also put them at increased risk for physical and emotional harm. One of the biggest challenges unsheltered individuals face is a lack of access to mental health care. Many unsheltered people struggle with mental health conditions that go untreated, leaving them vulnerable to self-harm and other dangerous behaviors. In fact, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness , people experiencing homelessness are three to four times more likely to have a mental health condition than the general population. Furthermore, the lack of access to mental health care also exacerbates substance abuse pr...

For many, the response of Portland, Oregon’s Mayor Ted Wheeler, to the ever-growing houseless issue in Portland is too little too late. After being elected mayor in 2016 and reelected in 2020, it has taken more than a third of his time in office to propose a solution to provide affordable housing and authorized houseless camps in the city, according to  OPB . The belated response comes after years of criticism, public embarrassment, and harassment. Hank Sanders from the local news organization  Willamette Week   interviewed Wheeler about the details of these volatile encounters from angry constituents after receiving a public lashing for his lackluster actions in these crises.  Image Source: KGW8 Please take the time after reading to fill out this short survey! Thank you. https://forms.gle/MrsHML16woC5pkBW6 In defense of Wheeler, the houseless problem has been an issue worldwide before Wheeler’s time in office and has grown exponentially since the COVID-19 crisis. Ma...

  Japan has one of the lowest homeless populations in the world. In the United States, over half a million people are experiencing homelessness (0.2%), with around half being unsheltered. In Japan, that number is under 4,000 (0.003%). In Portland, Oregon alone, the 2022 estimated number of unsheltered individuals was 3,057, and around 5,000 were experiencing some form of homelessness. How is this the case? It’s not that it’s cheaper to live in Japan. There isn’t a lower level of poverty (In fact, Japan’s poverty percentage is higher). You also can’t argue it’s just the population difference between the countries because those numbers still don’t add up. So what is Japan doing differently?  A 2022 article lays out three characteristics by which Japan drastically reduced its unsheltered population in the past 20 years. Those characteristics are: Generality “Generality” refers to the nature in which someone is eligible to receive public assistance in Japan. Eligibility only requ...