News
Whole Foods Market workers sound alarm again on COVID-19 precautions in Pearl District
It’s been eight months since an employee at Portland's Pearl District Whole Foods on Northwest Couch Street and Twelfth Avenue died from complications related to COVID-19, and some employees at the store worry that the company’s measures against the pandemic have only gone downhill this holiday season. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires all workplaces to…
Number of homeless students at Portland Public Schools is down, but so is overall enrollment
The number of students identified as homeless in Portland Public Schools is nearly half what it was this time last year — but district officials say those numbers don’t tell the whole story. As schools reopen, they expect to see an increase attributed to more accurate counting. On Dec. 9, the district identified 482 students…
A love of cooking that even homelessness couldn’t stop
Street Roots former paper vendors and now staff members Tina Drake and James Duby satisfy their self-expression, purpose and connection in the same way. Their fulfillment lies in their love of cooking. “It’s called the culinary arts for a reason. It’s as much of an art as painting or drawing. A person can tell their story…
Multnomah County reports 113 people died homeless last year
In 2019, Multnomah County tallied the highest number of homeless deaths in any year since the grim figure has been tracked. In its annual Domicile Unknown report released today, 113 people were recorded as having died homeless in the county, more than two each week. This is a marked increase over 2018 figures, which at…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile | Working her way through tough times
It’s sweet to imagine Lee Vaughn’s home, a West Shore apartment in downtown Portland where she has lived for the past two years. “My place is so beautiful,” she said, “like a jungle,” with a variety of plants: a Meyer Lemon tree, spider plants, philodendrons and many more. “I have a green thumb.” She lives…
Street Roots vendors | What we’re thankful for this season
I’m grateful for every day. I’ll be more grateful when we get this vaccine. Buzz Garrick Life. … I’ve always wanted to make it to 60. I’ve passed death three times, and I’ve made it. The best part about it is that I’ve always been unique, and now I’m more appreciative of that uniqueness. Mama…
Opinion
Opinion | Oregon lawmakers can ease economic inequality
Terrible news of death and economic destruction due to the pandemic dominates the headlines, hitting hardest at the health and economic security of the most vulnerable and lower income members of the community. History and experience elsewhere show clearly that the economy can’t recover until the pandemic ends. Weak and ineffective federal efforts to contain…
Editorial | ‘Domicile Unknown’ documents a tragic past and hints at a disturbing future
Last year, 113 people died homeless on the streets of Multnomah County. For some who lived so isolated — despite being so exposed — this grim statistic is the only register of their passing. But every one of them had a name, a life, a loved one. Among them Michelle Wheeler, Tisha Moss and Terry…
Housing
Editorial | ‘Domicile Unknown’ documents a tragic past and hints at a disturbing future
Last year, 113 people died homeless on the streets of Multnomah County. For some who lived so isolated — despite being so exposed — this grim statistic is the only register of their passing. But every one of them had a name, a life, a loved one. Among them Michelle Wheeler, Tisha Moss and Terry…
