Vulnerable People and Places Blog

Homelessness in Portland has decreased by 17% from 2022 to 2023. Most people experiencing homelessness will overcome this hardship, but those with mental illness without family support will not be able to do so. Portland surveyed 300 unsheltered people and found that 63% had mental disorders. In the absence of proper care at homeless shelters, the homeless population will remain the same. It's likely that they have a disorder, and may not understand the situation they're in. Combating this problem is possible.   The first step is to place homeless people in shelters that only accept people with mental disorders. Shelters for people with mental disorders are needed because they require specialized assistance from people who specialize in helping people with mental disorders. In addition to providing psychiatric assessments and medication management, shelters can also offer therapy for these individuals. Outreach workers are an important resource for helping people that are me...

                              Greater Portland Jan 31 2023 Portland, Oregon's city council has recently approved a contentious homelessness mitigation plan aimed at addressing the city's growing homelessness crisis. There are two sides of perception to this situation. There are some supporters that are happy with and praise this decision while there are also critics that are not sure of the effectiveness and what the motivations behind it are. The city's population has experienced an increase in homelessness. With over 5,200 people being homeless with about over 3,000 unsheltered individuals. With the rent still going on an up rise and encampments the situation seems to have gotten worse. This new plan that was introduced by Mayor Ted Wheeler includes the construction of 20,000 affordable housing units by the year of 2033 and providing working opportunities for those that are unhoused. Also banning...

Photo by: Paul Kuroda/LA Times Among the thousands of homeless individuals on the streets of Portland, homeless families and youth make up about half of the population. We would never know this however, since most homeless families are hidden in plain sight. Most campsites that hold families are in wooded areas, away from urban streets, or right in the center of the city, like underneath the Hawthorne Bridge.  “We lived in a wooded area, it was really nice. We got to run around… I used to play my little imagination games in my own little world, it was really fun,” one of the children said this in regards to living in the woods.  Children are mainly homeschooled being taught by their parents if living on the streets. However, if families do get into shelters, the children become enrolled through school. Path Home is a homeless family shelter in Multnomah County, serving up to 900 families. The children are now getting a public education, however most do not know what to make of...

  〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜 He needs her. She is the only anchor he has in a cruel and unpredictable world. They look for their meals in the discards of others They search for clothing in the rags left by people who wore them before As they huddle together on a sidewalk to try to sleep, she whispers stories in his ear. He searches her face, and sees it in her eyes. In those eyes he knows love, and loyalty, and security And Home Those eyes will never leave him   Until the day he is taken – Forced to live in a house with strangers, by well-meaning people Directed to live in a way he doesn’t understand What do you mean toothbrush? Paste? Why comb my hair? it will only get mussed again when I wear my hat Why can’t I keep biscuits in my pockets?   I need them! You don’t understand!   The eyes that are his home get to see him two days a week. She tells him he is safe and tries her best to let him know that this won’t last forever. Their hellos are j...

  WE NEED YOU             You can make a difference.   That’s the key phrase that everyone uses when trying to convince you to get involved in their social issue.   You can make a change in someone’s life in a way that matters to them.   You can create a life that is better for someone.   You can be the change you want to see.             I see this philosophy in the hearts and minds of young teachers.   They want to mold and shape the lives of their students, using an education to make a difference in their students’ paths.   If just one student goes farther or does better in their life because of something the teacher said, did, or taught, then they have made a difference.   And that is a good thing.             Some of the biggest changes that a teacher can create in their stude...

Source: https://portlandloo.com/ Publ ic space and facilities that can be accessed by anyone are an essential part of a socially just city. People should be able to do things like use the restroom while they’re out without having to pay money to do so, and this is especially relevant for homeless people who may only have the option of using a public restroom. These restrooms should thus be designed in a way that ensures privacy and dignity for those who need to use them. Unfortunately, the public restrooms here in Portland, known as the Portland Loos, are very flawed in this respect. The Portland Loos are recognizable as stainless steel kiosks typically placed in well-trafficked areas, like along sidewalks. While they’re serviceable in many ways, the main problem comes into play when considering the open grating at the top and bottom of the structures. These allow people outside to see whether someone is in the Loo or not, and while the grating isn’t directly eye-level with the toile...

  “A yearly Wallet Hub Analysis of unprivileged youth in the U.S. consistently ranks Oregon as one of the top states for the number of homeless youth.” This statement is by a news article titled Oregon’s Homeless Youth Goes Largely Unnoticed, Advocates Say, as Need for Service Grows. Many of these young individuals are counted because they’re in school, and the federal Mckinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires school districts to keep track of them. That means that those between the ages of 18-24 are excluded, due to them being outside of school.  In 2021, an assessment by the Oregon Department of Human Services revealed that there are at least 8,000 homeless people under the age of 24. Oftentimes, it may seem as though most of the homeless population seen on the streets is older than 24. This may be because much of the homeless youth spends their time being in and out of unstable homes, or even couch surfing. The Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Center’s Chief Pro...