Opinion
Starting a new chapter: Israel Bayer to step down at year’s end
I’ve lived and breathed Street Roots and homeless advocacy for the past 15 years. I’ll be taking six months off to write a book and to take a breather before deciding what’s next in my life. I almost can't believe I'm writing this, but I’m announcing today that I’ll be departing Street Roots at…
Corporate-sponsored globalization is not free trade
There is a grand debate over international economic policy now raging, and the outcome will have profound impacts on how the world evolves over the next several decades. But don’t be tricked into thinking this is a debate about “free trade” – the unhindered exchange of goods – because it is not. The grand “neoliberal”…
Director’s Desk: With Legislature ignoring housing crisis, local progress is crucial
On the same day Multnomah County announced a 10 percent increase in people experiencing homelessness, Oregon announced cuts to emergency rent assistance. If that didn’t add enough insult to injury, the state also proposed a 6 percent cut to other general-fund expenditures from the current service levels that include funding for a low-income rental fund,…
Editorial cartoon: June 23, 2017
Portland native Elizabeth Considine is the creator of Street Roots' editorial cartoon, Sheeptoast. (Click or tap the image to enlarge it.) Want to see more Sheeptoast cartoons? VIEW OUR GALLERY
News
Protesters take insurance giant to task over GOP health care bill
A group of about 20 disabled activists and their allies and service providers stormed Regence BlueCross BlueShield in downtown Portland Monday to deliver a receipt for the millions of Americans that would lose coverage under the Republican health care bill. The receipt tallied campaign donations the insurance company's federation, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, made to…
Naomi Klein tells us how to resist ‘the Trump show’
Naomi Klein’s latest book offers a strong dose of clarity to counteract the chaos plaguing the country since Donald Trump won the election. Klein draws from her unique areas of expertise – almost clairvoyantly – to decipher what the hell is going on at this moment in history. The Canadian author and award-winning journalist spent…
Corporate-sponsored globalization is not free trade
There is a grand debate over international economic policy now raging, and the outcome will have profound impacts on how the world evolves over the next several decades. But don’t be tricked into thinking this is a debate about “free trade” – the unhindered exchange of goods – because it is not. The grand “neoliberal”…
Director’s Desk: With Legislature ignoring housing crisis, local progress is crucial
On the same day Multnomah County announced a 10 percent increase in people experiencing homelessness, Oregon announced cuts to emergency rent assistance. If that didn’t add enough insult to injury, the state also proposed a 6 percent cut to other general-fund expenditures from the current service levels that include funding for a low-income rental fund,…
Culture
Naomi Klein tells us how to resist ‘the Trump show’
Naomi Klein’s latest book offers a strong dose of clarity to counteract the chaos plaguing the country since Donald Trump won the election. Klein draws from her unique areas of expertise – almost clairvoyantly – to decipher what the hell is going on at this moment in history. The Canadian author and award-winning journalist spent…
Housing
Pilot project in Portland to test locally funded housing vouchers
After Carolyn Lambert, 64, had a stroke last year, she knew she would need help keeping a roof over her head. Her only income is Social Security Insurance, which leaves her with $11 after she pays her rent. Family members often helped her with food, prescriptions or other basic expenses, but after her stroke, Lambert…
Director’s Desk: With Legislature ignoring housing crisis, local progress is crucial
On the same day Multnomah County announced a 10 percent increase in people experiencing homelessness, Oregon announced cuts to emergency rent assistance. If that didn’t add enough insult to injury, the state also proposed a 6 percent cut to other general-fund expenditures from the current service levels that include funding for a low-income rental fund,…
Snapshot of Multnomah County homelessness: Up 10%
It’s not surprising Portland saw a 10 percent increase in homelessness from 2016 to 2017. The average one-bedroom apartment now rents for more than $1,100 a month, according to data from Multifamily NW. That number has grown 20 times faster than the median income since 2015. More than 18,000 people in Multnomah County rely on…
Beyond Portland: What West Coast cities are doing about homelessness
Multnomah County's overall homeless population has increased 10 percent since 2015, according to the 2017 Homeless Point-In-Time count. But Portland is not alone. Other West Coast cities have also seen their homeless populations increase – and they’re taking steps to address the crisis. King County (Seattle) Unsheltered: 3,772 Sheltered/transitional housing: 10,047 Overall: 13,819 Overall…
