Opinion
Help us stop HIV
We are public health advocates, and we need your help to avoid an HIV outbreak. Kim started handing out clean needles to people on the streets of Berkeley 10 years before it was legal, because it was the right thing to do to keep HIV from spreading. Jennifer started her career treating patients who were…
Portland Clean Energy Fund takes bold action for climate justice
In the months since voters resoundingly passed the Portland Clean Energy Fund, the impacts and urgency of the climate crisis have only grown. Last year, greenhouse gas pollution reached a record high, and the previous five years were the hottest on average in modern record. In light of this, we would all do well to…
People on the streets have a voice in building better first response
A snoring dog lay at the feet of Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty as she leaned back against a table, nodding. A woman described how when she lived in her car and was approached by a first responder, she needed to be listened to, not just told what she needed. The room bustled with the energy…
News
Most cruelty complaints against homeless pet owners are baseless, says Multnomah County Animal Services
After sitting in traffic for a half-hour, we arrived at Southeast 35th Avenue and Yamhill Street. It was an unseasonably cool and overcast morning in early July, and Street Roots was riding along with Officer Christian Holden, of Multnomah County Animal Services. A nearby resident had called the county that morning to report that a…
Life on the Streets: Prone to loss
“My barn burned, now I can see the moon.” – Mizuta Masahide There are many levels of loss for people on the streets. There is the annoyance of sleeping bags, food and clothing ruined by rain. There is the frustration of stolen shoes, cigarettes and coats. Then there is the debilitating loss of identification, bus…
Tina Kotek: 2019 legislative session gets a B+
The smoke is still clearing from the 80th Oregon State Legislative Assembly, but if there were any open wounds left from its contentious conclusion, you wouldn’t know it by talking with House Speaker Tina Kotek. Kotek (D-North Portland) speaks of the 2019 long session like a loving, life-long fan of the legislative process. That it…
People on the streets have a voice in building better first response
A snoring dog lay at the feet of Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty as she leaned back against a table, nodding. A woman described how when she lived in her car and was approached by a first responder, she needed to be listened to, not just told what she needed. The room bustled with the energy…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: Love and acceptance
Street Roots vendor Randy Humphreys does not mince words. “The cycle ends with me,” said Randy, whose family has a history of abuse. Sent by his family to live at a children’s home in Nampa, Idaho, when he was 8, Randy endured abuse at the hands of other children. Severely disabled as a child, Randy…
Environment
Portland Clean Energy Fund takes bold action for climate justice
In the months since voters resoundingly passed the Portland Clean Energy Fund, the impacts and urgency of the climate crisis have only grown. Last year, greenhouse gas pollution reached a record high, and the previous five years were the hottest on average in modern record. In light of this, we would all do well to…
Tina Kotek: 2019 legislative session gets a B+
The smoke is still clearing from the 80th Oregon State Legislative Assembly, but if there were any open wounds left from its contentious conclusion, you wouldn’t know it by talking with House Speaker Tina Kotek. Kotek (D-North Portland) speaks of the 2019 long session like a loving, life-long fan of the legislative process. That it…
Housing
Tina Kotek: 2019 legislative session gets a B+
The smoke is still clearing from the 80th Oregon State Legislative Assembly, but if there were any open wounds left from its contentious conclusion, you wouldn’t know it by talking with House Speaker Tina Kotek. Kotek (D-North Portland) speaks of the 2019 long session like a loving, life-long fan of the legislative process. That it…
Culture
Street Roots vendor writing: NOFX lyrics speak for the disenfranchised
Most of you in your 40s probably remember NOFX. They’re the punk band from Los Angeles famous for their punk/ska creations such as “Linoleum” and “Don’t Call Me White.” They were one of the first successes of Epitaph Records, which was started by Greg Graffin of Bad Religion, and unlike other famous punk bands of…
