Finding Your Footing: Resources for the Unhoused Population in PDX

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Finding Your Footing: Resources for the Unhoused PDX Population

Written by Emma Ridle

 Even though the United States is one of the richest and most powerful countries in the entire world, we are also one of the most flawed. One of the biggest examples of this is how we have one of the world's largest homeless populations while leaving thousands of homes empty. It doesn't help that we have an ever present fentantly crisis that makes it extremely hard to get access to resources. What makes it harder is the negative stigma that surrounds homeless people, with society treating them as if all of them are drug addicts who don't deserve our money or help. The sad reality is that a large majority of homeless people are people who have just fallen on hard times and are struggling to maintain a stable income/house. This is where rehab, hygiene centers, and housing aid come in. 

With this article, I've compiled a variety of FREE public resources in the Portland area to help aid with the housing crisis. They provide lists of rehab centers, nonprofits for housewares, and the ins and outs of applying for jobs and housing. 

Step 1: Getting Clean (Physically and Literally) 

Of course, this step is not a requirement if it doesn't apply to you. But if you're struggling with substance abuse, one of the best ways towards a happier life is to quit. It's much better for your mental, physical, and financial well-being.  However, quitting and recovering from hard drugs is one of the toughest things your body can endure, and dealing with them while also being homeless can cause complications. That's why below are various free rehab/detox centers in Oregon that also offer counseling and housing assistance, including Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare and Hillsboro Fora Health in the PDX Metro Area. 

If this first half doesn't apply, then this is the REAL Step 1 for you. Personal hygiene and cleanliness are a cornerstone of maintaining a professional demeanor. Typically, homeless shelters offer bathrooms to wash up in, but a lot of them in Portland are at max capacity/overflowing. That's why there are designated free bath and shower houses that also help supply soap and haircare. Below are links to various bath houses and locations for where they are. 

Rehab Centers:  https://www.addictionresource.net/free-rehab-centers/oregon/

Hygiene 4 All: https://www.instagram.com/h4apdx/?hl=en

Shower Locations: https://www.211info.org/get-help/basic-needs/public-showers-baths/

Step 2: Looking and Feeling Your Best 

Normally, when I recommend affordable clothing, I bring up the Goodwill Bins or local thrift stores. But in todays Internet led economy, your grandmas mothball ridden nightgown could go for 90 dollars on Depop if it has a "vintage" sticker slapped on it. It's a brutal game at the thrift store these days, so the next best option? Free closets! 

There are a lot of free clothing closets in the Portland Area that offer basic everyday wear, as well as business casual clothes for job interviews and work. Nonprofits like The Insight Alliance in NE and Rose Haven in NW (which also doubles as a dayhouse with an assortment of above resources!) are amazing places to start with

Insight Alliance: https://www.theinsightalliance.org/clothing-closet

Rose Haven: https://rosehaven.org/

Step 3: Employed Era

The real first step towards home owning is having the money. If you've followed the first half of Step 1 and cut out substances, that should already be a huge burden lifted off your budget. But most renters won't approve your application if you're not currently or soon to be employed--They want to ensure that you'll be able to pay your rent monthly and in full. Luckily, there are plenty of programs that help people, no matter their background, find employment. 

Stone Soup Kitchen is a great place to start: They are a non-profit that specializes in providing culinary training and free food programs for unhoused people. Giving cooking experience is a great way to help people learn the skill sets required for a culinary job, as well as helping to provide those jobs at their front-facing cafe. 

Apart from Stone Soup, there are a lot of non-food service jobs that are also available. New Avenues is a great resource for younger demographics facing homelessness, and helps them prepare resumes and for job interviews.  And the POIC provides paid training for different job titles. Also, always utilize your local public library to work on any resumes and applications! Check the links below to learn more:

Stone Soup: https://www.stonesouppdx.com/

New Avenues https://newavenues.org/job-training-and-employment/

POIC: https://www.portlandoic.org/employment-training/programs

Step 4: House Hunters 

This is where things get the most complicated but yield the best results: The house. Now, finding housing in this economy is one of the hardest things to do right now. Rent and demand are sky high, and locations and specific needs make it even harder to find the perfect home. Some of the previous resources, like New Avenues, help provide housing for all types of demographics, but another organization that helps overall is Transition Projects. They have 3 different apartment buildings with different qualifications for applying, whether it be emergency or permanent housing. They have emergency shelters with collectively 800+ beds incase theres a lull period between waiting for housing application approval. For more information on their different facilities, click below:

Unfortunelty there is no straight and narrow path when it comes to finding a home: Sometimes it comes with complications and speed bumps that prolong the process. But this is just a start in
heading towards a healthier, happier, and housed life during such troubling times. 

Transition Projects: https://www.tprojects.org/housing