Vulnerable People and Places Blog

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...

It's 2024 you would think we've figured it out. If you live in Portland, you can testify that the houseless situation has become more apparent, but what about Oregon as a state? Oregon hit a record high in homelessness; what does this mean for our future or even the present? Check out the link below to see how it's dated since 2007.  Homelessness in Oregon hits record high in 2023