Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile | A protector and a hard worker
Dorothy Pepper was addressing thank-you letters to donors at the Street Roots office before her interview for this profile. She has been a Street Roots vendor for just over a year and has been involved with its Coronavirus Action Team, passing out winter gear and taking surveys to record the opinions of unhoused people. “I…
Culture
Jeremy Wilson: ‘The capitalist system does not work for artists’
In early spring of 2020, the certainty of a profound global pandemic was beginning to sink in. Lives, livelihoods and presumptions of security were upended. As the fallout ricocheted at light speed across the globe, one vulnerable group experienced an immediate shock to the system. “The absolute floor fell out for musicians,” said Jeremy Wilson,…
News
Jeremy Wilson: ‘The capitalist system does not work for artists’
In early spring of 2020, the certainty of a profound global pandemic was beginning to sink in. Lives, livelihoods and presumptions of security were upended. As the fallout ricocheted at light speed across the globe, one vulnerable group experienced an immediate shock to the system. “The absolute floor fell out for musicians,” said Jeremy Wilson,…
Dan Ryan: ‘We have to bust out of those silos’ to solve our housing crisis
Dan Ryan is among three new faces on the Portland City Council this year, but his first few months in office are unquestionably the most challenging of the bunch. But then, having taken office in September, he’s had a little more time than the others to ruffle feathers. Carmen Rubio and Mingus Mapps started their…
A Street Story | Deanna finds an apartment
This periodic column follows Street Roots vendors Max McEntire and Deanna Handley as they seek stability and a place to call home. The following essay is in the words of Max McEntire, as told to reporter Emma Nathanson. On Feb. 9 of last year, I was leaving town. My drinking had gotten out of…
Housing
Josephine County will get its only low-barrier shelter — but only for 90 days
This story is part of a series examining housing and homelessness issues in Southern Oregon’s Josephine County. Update April 7: On April 5, Rogue Retreat announced it would not open a shelter in Grants Pass, after the city flip-flopped several times on the matter. The Medford-based organization had overcome pushback from neighbors to gain a conditional-use permit from the Grants Pass…
Opinion | Hazelnut Grove is a model to emulate, not evacuate
As the executive director of Trash for Peace, a nonprofit that provides sustainability education and low-barrier job opportunities in waste prevention and recycling, I have seen first-hand the impact of COVID-19 on the houseless community in Portland. The recent decision by Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Dan Ryan to evict residents of Hazelnut Grove in…
Opinion | End the cruel cycle of camp sweeps
Across the U.S. on a daily basis, city officials order unhoused people swept — evicted — out of ostensible concern for their health and safety. This scenario is playing out right here in Portland as we speak, with the city violently displacing people attempting to shelter in place in the midst of an unprecedented housing…
Kaia Sand | ‘Why mess with it when it works?’
From the Overlook bluff, I looked down at Hazelnut Grove, nestled among evergreen trees and brush. Then I took in the larger view — the arcing Fremont Bridge, Portland’s skyline, the railroads, North Greeley Avenue. I considered, too, the larger view of what brought us to this brink where the mayor’s office declared plans to…
Opinion
Opinion | Crime survivors of color often lack opportunities to heal
What do crime survivors of color need in the aftermath of trauma? While decades of research have informed services that best meet crime survivors’ needs, remarkably little attention has been paid to the experiences of survivors of color. To better understand this gap, Partnership for Safety and Justice worked in deep collaboration with community-based advocates…
Opinion | Hazelnut Grove is a model to emulate, not evacuate
As the executive director of Trash for Peace, a nonprofit that provides sustainability education and low-barrier job opportunities in waste prevention and recycling, I have seen first-hand the impact of COVID-19 on the houseless community in Portland. The recent decision by Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Dan Ryan to evict residents of Hazelnut Grove in…
Opinion | End the cruel cycle of camp sweeps
Across the U.S. on a daily basis, city officials order unhoused people swept — evicted — out of ostensible concern for their health and safety. This scenario is playing out right here in Portland as we speak, with the city violently displacing people attempting to shelter in place in the midst of an unprecedented housing…
Kaia Sand | ‘Why mess with it when it works?’
From the Overlook bluff, I looked down at Hazelnut Grove, nestled among evergreen trees and brush. Then I took in the larger view — the arcing Fremont Bridge, Portland’s skyline, the railroads, North Greeley Avenue. I considered, too, the larger view of what brought us to this brink where the mayor’s office declared plans to…
