Opinion
Kaia Sand | He survived the fire, but now he needs housing
When the fire alarm went off, James Hammond was preparing to head out for the day to sell Street Roots. He looked out of his second-floor apartment window. Kaia Sand is the executive director of Street Roots. This column represents her views. “I saw a firefighter climbing up the fire escape,” James told me. “Uh-oh.…
Kaia Sand | Why is poverty relief so gut-wrenchingly difficult?
Determined to file his taxes, a man I know labored to find an accountant to help him, as he does every year. This year is the first year he has an apartment to sleep in, but he earnestly filed his taxes while he was homeless too. He hit dead-end after dead-end. The first clinic no…
Opinion | Oregon’s estate tax must be protected
Recently, a bipartisan group of lawmakers tried short-circuiting the legislative process to deliver a coup on behalf of Oregon's wealthiest. They attempted to send a bill repealing Oregon’s estate tax straight to the floor for a vote, skipping the usual review of legislation. Thankfully, the majority rejected this trick. The incident, however, is a warning…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile | Holding his head high
If you’d like a little lift in your step, engage in a conversation with Street Roots vendor Bama Hayward. He bubbles with the joy, confidence and strength of his new life, clean and sober. “I wake up with a smile on my face every day,” Bama said. Bama has so much to be happy about…
Housing
Legislators focus on housing bills providing housing rather than rights
Jean Hendron had a lot to say about a bill to allow commercial spaces to be used as residential housing, but she chose not to use words. Instead, without comment, she sent the Senate Committee on Housing and Development a series of photos of people living on the street — a reminder that people already…
Culture
Artist explores multiracial Asian and Pacific Islander identity
Artist Kip Fulbeck has often been asked, 'What are you?' by people who wonder about his race. He addresses the question in an art exhibit, “hapa.me” (“hapa dot me”), opening in Portland on May 21 during Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The Japanese American Museum of Oregon, or JAMO, at 411…
News
Indigenous communities across Oregon raise awareness for missing and murdered relatives
When a loved one goes missing, who looks? This month, Indigenous-led community groups are hosting cultural events across the Pacific Northwest with a unified purpose — to bring awareness to the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people, commonly abbreviated as MMIP. The campaign to call attention to missing and murdered Indigenous women, or…
