Vulnerable People and Places Blog

  Breaking Down Stereotypes: Seeing Beyond Homelessness Homelessness is often surrounded by stereotypes that can paint a misleading and unfair picture of those experiencing it. Common misconceptions might suggest that people who are homeless are lazy, addicted, or simply don’t want to work. These stereotypes are not only harmful but also fail to recognize the complex realities faced by individuals without stable housing. By challenging these assumptions, we can build a more compassionate and accurate understanding of homelessness. One major stereotype is that all homeless people are struggling with substance abuse. While some may indeed face addiction issues, many do not. Homelessness can result from a myriad of factors, including job loss, medical bills, or family breakdowns. It’s crucial to remember that addiction or mental health challenges are often symptoms of a broader struggle, not the sole reason for homelessness. Another misconception is that people who are homeless are si...

  Understanding Homelessness:  Embracing Empathy and Humanity Imagine for a moment that your daily life suddenly changes overnight. The stability you once took for granted—your home, your job, your safety—is gone. This is the reality for many people experiencing homelessness. They are not defined by their lack of a home but by the same hopes, dreams, and struggles that we all share. It’s important to remember that behind every story of homelessness is a person with a past, a present, and a future. Homelessness can happen to anyone. Economic hardships, medical emergencies, or even the loss of a loved one can push people to the brink. It’s easy to see someone on the street and assume they are “different” from us, but the truth is that their circumstances could befall any of us. When we approach the issue with empathy, we start to see that the person standing on the corner is not just a statistic but someone who has faced extraordinary challenges. Empathy invites us to look beyon...

     Vikkilyn Rolfs is the director of childcare services at Open House Ministries for nineteen  Years. Open House Ministries is a local family shelter founded by Bob and Joanne Kendall. Rolfs, first got connected to Open House through the former director whom she previously worked with at a different daycare center. Before Open House Ministries, Vikkilyn, worked at a homeless shelter for ten years in Washington DC, which was a men’s shelter. Rolfs has seen and experienced different kinds of living situations among the homeless in the Portland Metro Area.       “In your opinion what do you think of the homeless crises today in Portland Oregon including Vancouver Washington?” Vikkilyn states, “it’s gotten very much out of hand, it’s gotten tragic! I think that there is a whole mix of people under different circumstance. There’s definitely a lot of drugs, a lot of mental health, which could be mental health or could be drug induce mental health.”...

  Portland officials have once again rolled out an ambitious plan to tackle the city's escalating homeless crisis, promising to halve the unsheltered population by 2026. Yet, as the echoes of past unfulfilled commitments linger, one must ask: Is this just another round of empty promises? With homelessness nearly tripling since a similar pledge in 2015, Portlanders are left wondering if this latest strategy will truly bring change—or simply add to the city's legacy of inaction and disappointment.  Despite the lofty promises from Portland’s officials, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Homelessness has continued to surge, and the measures implemented so far have barely scratched the surface. Resources are spread thin, shelters are overwhelmed, and many unhoused residents remain without basic support. City representatives have repeatedly pledged to make homelessness a priority, yet their actions often fall short, leaving vulnerable populations to suffer while the ...

  City representatives frequently dismiss the idea that the housing market is at the heart of the rising homelessness crisis, instead attributing it to factors like mental health issues, addiction, and unemployment. But this narrative raises important questions: can these challenges alone explain the surge in homelessness, or is there a deeper, systemic issue at play? A closer examination suggests that the escalating cost of housing and the shrinking availability of affordable homes are far more than just a backdrop to this crisis—they're central drivers. As rents soar and the dream of homeownership slips out of reach, it becomes increasingly clear that the housing market is not just a factor, but a significant force fueling the homelessness. Research studies using data from 2019 until current assessing the root of the crisis points in the direction of rising housing prices. The average monthly rent in the Portland Metropolitan area exceeds the national average of a staggering $170...

In a recent article , I talked about the value of temporary shelters in providing both relief for individuals, and as a path towards more permanent home living. It was in response to the Homelessness Response Action Plan explaining how solving homelessness is not as simple as “build more permanent housing” as some responders to the plan have suggested. In this article, I will go deeper in examining “why” homelessness remains a key issue in Portland, and what steps we, as concerned individuals, can take to support our community. To address the obvious in the room, yes, Oregon has a homelessness issue. Oregon has reported the highest rate of unsheltered family homelessness in the nation frequently since 2007. There is a stereotype that homeless people are drug addicts, however in Oregon, the issue is more rooted in economic instability. For one, unemployment has been an ongoing issue since the pandemic in 2020. While we have recovered from the staggering 13.30% peak unemployment in Apr...

  The Portland City Council approved new rules that allow fines up to $100 or seven days in jail for homeless individuals who camp on public property. The same penalties apply for homeless individuals who block sidewalks use gas heaters, start fire, or have their belongings more that 2 feet outside of their tents This new ordinance is due to take effect immediately. Mayor Ted Wheeler believes that this is a significant step in managing public spaces and addressing the homeless situation in Portland. The homeless individuals who accept shelter will not be cited and the courts may waive their fines if they were cited and have taken shelter. For more information of the new laws in Portland click here Attention: The Portland State University senior capstone for multimedia would love to hear from you. If you have the time, please click here to fill out a survey about your experience with housing.

In southeast Portland, there has been an ongoing battle with a homeless encampment on Knapp street and 105th Avenue. Recently there has been a three day removal clean up in homeless encampments. Many Portland residents nearby have expressed their support as they are angry about Portland’s struggle to manage new people in the city while others who were in the encampment, feel marginalized and feel that the city has offered no real solution. Temporary shelters is what the city recommends although it is unappealing as it asks people to abandon their belongings and pets.  The removal process has been a relief for the neighbors living nearby the camp as they have awaited action for a long time. On the other hand many of the homeless community's belongings were lost in the clearout and some feel that it only makes their struggles harder. The situation illustrates the ongoing battle between Portland and its homeless community and how this battle affects that community.  For more...

Homelessness is multifaceted and complex, but it affects different populations differently. People from various groups who are homeless face unique circumstances and challenges, and understanding these unique differences is essential in addressing Homelessness. Families make up a large portion of the homeless population, especially those with children. According to the NAEH (National Alliance to End Homelessness), one-third of the homeless population in the United States is from families. These families may lack affordable housing, job loss, and unexpected expenses are some of the factors that contribute to family homelessness. The impact is particularly significant for children, who may suffer developmental and cognitive delays due to interrupted education, insufficient food, and increased stress. Another particular homeless group is veterans . The data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs show less than 10% of the population are veterans, but they make up about 11% of the ho...

Hostile architecture is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “the design of public spaces in a way that stops unwanted behavior, for example putting spikes (= pieces of metal with a sharp point) in doorways to stop people who have nowhere to live from sleeping there”.  This style of architecture has been seemingly becoming more and more prevalent in modern urban planning settings and even within more suburban areas. Common examples of hostile architecture are benches that are divided by arm rests or unconventionally shaped seats such as the ones found at the Providence Park Max Eastbound station which look like different punctuation marks.  The main point of hostile architecture is to prevent unwanted behavior, that behavior most often being homeless people sleeping in public areas. Of course, creating these strange and uncomfortable benches prevents people from sleeping there, but oftentimes hostile architecture goes beyond that. Hostile architecture can also include a lack...

  Homelessness has been a prevalent issue in cities throughout the United States for years now, and the number of people forced to live in the streets is becoming higher than ever in this post-pandemic world. This is likely due to an uptick in rent prices as well as the continually diminishing job market in addition to the increase of inflation. Having a stable income that can cover basic necessities is becoming harder and harder to achieve, but for people who have had a history of incarceration there is even more trouble finding good jobs. According to a study done in 2015 by the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project (HRAP) at Seattle University School of Law about the relationship between homelessness and other marginalized groups. According to the study, the odds that an average person would experience homelessness in a year are 1 in 200. For individuals being released from prison, however, the odds increase drastically to 1 in 11. That is a jump from ~0.5% to ~9%. Furthermore, a ci...

The city of Portland has a reputation for being a city full of bridges, the city of roses, and tent encampments around every corner. One of these doesn’t belong with the others, but if you’re a local, this is just another day of dodging tents.  “Since last July, more than 6,500 tents and more than 24,000 tarps have been handed out to people living on the streets in Multnomah County. ” The pandemic brought to the surface a whole new level of issues to one of the smallest cities in the United States and the solutions we are throwing at it don’t seem to be combatting the issues.  While looking for cost-effective solutions to house the most vulnerable in Portland, the blocking of ADA-accessible sidewalks and the revamp of downtown is taking longer than most Portlanders expected. The Multnomah County commissioner is making significant strides by approving a $3.96 billion budget to help increase services for homeless people and behavioral mental health. The budget also includes $23...

The rising costs of living have unequally affected low income families, with the wages staying put and inflation pushing prices upward many can not even cram paying rent into their budget. Called, "basic need inflation" things such as: food, energy, transportation and health care have pushed the budget of those who are classified as severely cost burdened. Inflation has pushed a 40 year high of  8.6 percent  in May of 2022 with forcing families to spend more on daily necessities rather than pay for rent or even consider saving for a down payment for a house. The current wages just are not sufficient for people to comfortably buy a house in todays market. With a shortage in housing, this allows an opportunity for landlords to push the rent prices since there is no where else to go. The Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) reflects that the median rent increased nearly 15.9 percent as of May 2022. Leaving lower income families to do whatever they can to make rent to avoid being ho...