News
Thank you, from Street Roots’ vendors
“2015 was a year that I faced so many challenges, on positive and negative levels. Every year, the communities support me with immense love and support. This year, they REALLY came through for me when I was homeless for a few months. Give thanks to the employees of the Standard Insurance Building, public defender’s office,…
Portland landlords open doors to veterans
Hundreds of letters and phone calls to Portland-area landlords paid off. It’s expected Multnomah County will exceed the target set for ending veteran homelessness locally by the end of the year. Contrary to the campaign’s title – A Home for Every Veteran – the goal set was to house a specific number of veterans –…
Stunned: Matthew Klug and the ‘pattern and practice’ of police force
Three years after the U.S. Department of Justice found Portland police had a “pattern and practice” of using excessive force, including unjustified stun gun use, against people with mental illness, the ongoing case of Matthew Klug begs notice. “That pattern and practice – it happened to me personally,” Klug said. Klug, 46, is a Portlander…
The universal geography of poverty
Like many professional photographers, Matt Black reached the point where he set aside the trusty film on which he’d built an award-winning reputation and embraced the digital world. That was 2012. One of his first steps was to set up an Instagram account, a place where he could test how his work, values and goals…
Opinion
An open letter from the streets this Christmas
My name is Wayne Stump, and I’ve been homeless for a while. I’m sure you don’t remember me because you pretend you don’t see me when you walk by. There are some things I think you should know because you believe there is no way you could ever end up like me, but the funny…
Director’s Desk: This is how you can help Street Roots vendors
With the holidays upon us, it has not been an easy month for Street Roots vendors. Record-breaking rainfall has all but stopped sales of the newspaper on a couple of days, and that never happens. It’s a bummer because December is typically the vendors’ best sales month. Readers and supporters have responded with great care…
Editorial: Mixed messages muddle positive steps in homeless crisis
By now the homeless and housing emergency recognized up and down the West Coast has been well documented, with lawmakers and organizations rallying to push major improvements to our homeless programs and housing market. The first-ever West Coast Mayors Summit wrapped up in Portland with an alliance to end homelessness for the tens of thousands…
