Culture
Wendell Pierce: You create the life you want
Wendell Pierce, an actor best known for his roles in the TV series “The Wire” and “Treme,” writes a letter to his younger self as part of a series for The Big Issue, Street Roots’ sister paper in the United Kingdom. At 16, I had just returned from a trip to London, which was a…
A dusty plot of land? To Shorty, it was a canvas
Every time I turned onto Interstate 205, I saw a new art installation on a small, triangular patch of earth near Foster Boulevard. I would catch the glimpse of stones carefully laid out on the ground spelling “Father.” I would see children’s toys clinging to a stick poking out of the ground. Stuffed animals sat…
Housing
How housing laws fail transgender Americans
Ben Carson, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, made news last year for his statements about transgender people. In a September 2019 meeting with HUD staff, Carson remarked that he was concerned about “big, hairy men” trying to use women’s shelters. It is reported that his comments upset the HUD staff…
Camp sweeps have a human toll; just look at Debby Ann Beaver
In the midst of the Christmas, Hanukkah crush, even for Wiccans and Pagans, it’s easy to overlook a relatively recent national ritual that coincides with the solstice: Since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless designated Dec. 21, the longest night of the year, National Homeless Persons Memorial Day. Personally, around this time, I can’t…
Nick Fish helped transform how Portland would tackle homelessness
I remember the first time I met Nick Fish. He had an almost naive optimism about what he wanted to accomplish on the housing front. I remember thinking to myself that it was both refreshing and a little out of touch with reality. I liked it. Nick was elected the same year the Great Recession…
Opinion
How housing laws fail transgender Americans
Ben Carson, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, made news last year for his statements about transgender people. In a September 2019 meeting with HUD staff, Carson remarked that he was concerned about “big, hairy men” trying to use women’s shelters. It is reported that his comments upset the HUD staff…
A dusty plot of land? To Shorty, it was a canvas
Every time I turned onto Interstate 205, I saw a new art installation on a small, triangular patch of earth near Foster Boulevard. I would catch the glimpse of stones carefully laid out on the ground spelling “Father.” I would see children’s toys clinging to a stick poking out of the ground. Stuffed animals sat…
Camp sweeps have a human toll; just look at Debby Ann Beaver
In the midst of the Christmas, Hanukkah crush, even for Wiccans and Pagans, it’s easy to overlook a relatively recent national ritual that coincides with the solstice: Since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless designated Dec. 21, the longest night of the year, National Homeless Persons Memorial Day. Personally, around this time, I can’t…
Nick Fish helped transform how Portland would tackle homelessness
I remember the first time I met Nick Fish. He had an almost naive optimism about what he wanted to accomplish on the housing front. I remember thinking to myself that it was both refreshing and a little out of touch with reality. I liked it. Nick was elected the same year the Great Recession…
City efforts should lead to health and housing, not more suffering
It was something the mayor said that weighed on me. “This is not about our strategy to end homelessness.” Kaia Sand is the executive director of Street Roots. You can reach her at kaia@streetroots.org. Follow her on Twitter @mkaiasand Portland City Council had just voted 4-0 for a $4.5 million per year contract to Rapid…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: Blessed with a voice
Street Roots vendor Marty Sledge’s voice is remarkable. Alluring, multisensory and oddly familiar, it’s the first thing most people notice about him. His range and versatility captivate and draw those around him closer. And it’s a natural gift. His aunts are the famous Sisters Sledge, the renowned singers behind the Grammy-nominated single “We Are Family.”…
