News
HEART program to divert homeless away from court system
In an effort to stop the revolving door of homeless repeat offenders through Multnomah County’s criminal court system, local government agencies are working to establish a resource center where they can send homeless people who commit low-level criminal offenses, rather than sending them to jail. Portland Mayor Charlie Hales announced plans for the new program,…
State of crisis: Homeless emergency stretches beyond Portland
Portland is experiencing a dire shortage of affordable housing, but not one that is unique to the city. The housing crisis, as it has become known, is a regional issue of historic magnitude that is felt throughout the Pacific Northwest. “The lack of housing opportunity is impacting communities throughout Oregon,” said Jenny Lee, housing policy…
Portland author preserves a snapshot of cool jazz
Portland is almost synonymous with coffee shops. So it shouldn’t have been of special significance to meet Portland author Jessica Ferber at Ford Food & Drink. However, this is a special spot for Ferber because that’s where she did much of the writing for her new book, “Rebirth of the Cool: Discovering the Art of Robert…
Portland groups divided on camping ban
On April 21, several area civil rights groups, charities and religious organizations united to file an amicus brief in the ongoing appeal of Alexandra Barrett, a Portland woman who’s been fighting a slew of illegal-camping charges and other misdemeanor offenses related to her homeless status since December 2014. The brief is an add-on to the…
Portland author’s dream a long time in the making
Last fall, Portland poet Harold Johnson launched his novel at Broadway Books, and a standing-room-only crowd filled the Northeast Portland shop to hear him read. Set on a U.S. Army base in the late ’50s, “The Fort Showalter Blues” is a story of a young African-American trumpet player from Portland who gets initiated into the…
Opinion
Commentary: An investment in our streets, an investment in community
Imagine you’re a single parent in Portland. You’re stringing together paychecks to keep up with your exorbitant rent in the apartment complex on the edge of town, the only one you can afford. Despite your best efforts to save money, you’re vulnerable to any unexpected economic turmoil. Heading home from your overtime shift, you hit…
Announcment: Street Roots is hiring a vendor assistant
Vendor Assistant: The vendor assistant would be responsible for opening and closing and overseeing the Street Roots vendor office on Sunday and Monday from 7:30am to 3:00pm. This position is for 16-hours a week at $15.50 an hour. Basic job duties: Open and close vendor office hours Sunday and Monday: 7:30 am to 3pm. Conduct hospitality…
How the U.S. became a country where freedom fails to ring
The irony of our criminal justice system is that our “land of the free” locks up more of its people than any other country. As such, it’s an outlier in industrialized democracies. The U.K., for example, locks up one fifth the number, per capita, that the U.S. does. And, as most readers already know, the…
Director’s Desk: Homeless should not be Public Enemy No. 1
The stories of people experiencing homelessness are many. Starting Friday, April 29, readers will be able to get a 32-page zine of stories about people’s experience of sleeping outside and in Portland’s shelters. Street Roots has been working with vendors and others outside for nearly 16 weeks to capture these amazing stories and artwork. You…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: Things are looking up
Dennis Chavez is an Army veteran with a different kind of mission: finding permanent housing and a steady job. He was born in Orange County, Calif., and joined the Army as a Chinook helicopter mechanic, serving during the conflicts in Central America. He flew between Nicaragua and Honduras between 1986 and 1990. He was shot…
