Vulnerable People and Places Blog

Photo by Sean Foster on Unsplash Drive through Northeast Portland after dark and you will pass them. Old motorhomes pulled up against the curb. Minivans with the back windows covered in cardboard. Sedans with a sleeping bag bunched against the rear window. They look abandoned. They are not. Someone lives there. Vehicle residency is the fastest-growing form of homelessness in Oregon. The state's 2025 Point-in-Time count found 4,850 people living in cars, RVs, and trucks , a 15.3 percent jump in a single year. National researchers have called it the fastest-growing homeless subpopulation in the country. And the stereotype most people carry about who those residents are turns out to be wrong. Many vehicle residents are working. Some are seniors. A surprising number have been doing this for years, holding down jobs while waiting on a housing market that will not take them back. Last September, OPB profiled Rachelle Lacy-Powell, a 59-year-old who had spent five years living ...

When times are hard, many return home as adults to have a safe place to plan for a fresh start. Others may remain home a few years into adulthood in order to be prepared for starting out on their own. But when many foster children age out of care, these safety nets are not there for them. For those who do not reunify, connect with other family members, or get adopted, emancipation is the end goal of their foster experience. Ready or not, they are independent adults.  In Oregon, data for 2021 shows that 60% of 16 to 21-year-olds who left foster care were emancipated (1). The Oregon Department of Health and Human Services has published a page with resources for those transitioning out of foster care (2). In 2022, they published a follow-up with 21-year-olds who formerly were in foster care. Of those who continued to respond at the 3 year mark, 24% of the respondents had experienced homelessness in the last 2 years, and only 9% were employed full or part-time (3). These are grim numb...

  In the Pacific Northwest lies the rainy city of Portland, Oregon, known for its progressive spirit and thriving cultural scene. But, under the surface of Portland's charm lies a pressing issue that demands our urgent attention: the devastating effects of drugs on houselessness. As we confront this rapidly growing crisis, it's crucial to recognize the gravity of the situation and rally together to implement effective solutions. The relationship between drugs and houselessness in Portland is undeniable. Countless individuals experiencing houselessness grapple with substance abuse disorders, turning to drugs as a means of escape from the harsh living conditions of life on the streets. Whether it's methamphetamine, opioids, or other substances, the impact is profound and far-reaching, affecting not only the individuals themselves but also the surrounding community. Drug use among homeless people in Portland makes their existing problems worse and keeps them trapped in poverty...