Opinion
Kaia Sand | People experiencing homelessness die decades before their time
At least 315 people who were unhoused died before their time in Multnomah County in 2022. Their early deaths — occurring an average of three decades earlier than the average American — surface the fault lines of a profoundly unequal society. Kaia Sand is the executive director of Street Roots. This column represents her views.…
Opinion | COP 28 in dubai: The good, the bad and the ugly
Two weeks of intense negotiations in the United Arab Emirates resulted in progress and frustration. This is what 195 countries finally agreed to at COP 28: “We call on countries to contribute to global efforts to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this…
Opinion | Shortcomings in US labor law and its impact on union’s first contracts
According to a recent Gallup poll, 71% of Americans approve of labor unions, the highest approval rating since 1965. And worker organizing has led to unionization of stores at a number of well-known, profitable companies. The problem is that many of these new unions have yet to win a first contract. One important reason: national…
Housing
2022 deadliest year on record for homeless Multnomah County residents
Editor’s note: This story discusses drug overdoses, self-harm and violence. A record of at least 315 homeless Multnomah County residents died in 2022, according to the county’s Domicile Unknown report released in collaboration with Street Roots advocacy Dec. 20. Accidental drug overdoses, homicides, people taking their own lives and traffic fatalities were the four leading…
News
2022 deadliest year on record for homeless Multnomah County residents
Editor’s note: This story discusses drug overdoses, self-harm and violence. A record of at least 315 homeless Multnomah County residents died in 2022, according to the county’s Domicile Unknown report released in collaboration with Street Roots advocacy Dec. 20. Accidental drug overdoses, homicides, people taking their own lives and traffic fatalities were the four leading…
Remembering those who died while homeless in Multnomah County
Editor’s note: This story discusses sexual abuse. Jeremy Hofmann was just seven years old when his life changed forever. “That’s, I think, when things started really going downhill for him,” his sister said. Forty years later, Hofmann, who was homeless, died after he was struck by a vehicle in Canby. Hofmann’s sister, Stephanie Lathrom, describes…
Newly renamed Wapato Bridge honors first foods
Travelers headed to Sauvie Island will now cross the newly renamed Wapato Bridge after Multnomah County Commissioners approved the change proposed by a Native-led council. A year after a vote to change the bridge’s name passed, the coalition tasked with choosing a new name revealed its selection at a Multnomah County Board of Commissioners meeting…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile | The art of applying yourself
For almost five years, Loki, 45, has sold Street Roots around downtown Portland. It started when a friend of his told him to head down to the offices and attend orientation, promising that it was “basically as good as free money.” “What do you mean ‘free money’?” Loki recalled asking his friend. Curious, Loki sat…
