News
Secretary of State investigating People for Portland for possible election law violations
The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office is investigating People for Portland for possible election law violations. The controversial nonprofit organization became an influential voice in the local debate regarding homelessness in 2021 after advocating for aggressive policies meant to prevent unhoused people from occupying public spaces. A complaint filed March 15 on behalf of United…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile | Working as a vendor for 6 years, Jim is a community staple
Street Roots vendor Jim McRae is a staple around the Street Roots office and at his post at Sizzle Pie across the street from Powell’s Books, where he is known for his kindness and his positive attitude. Jim started selling Street Roots six years ago. At the time, he was staying in a shelter and…
Housing
Police know arrests won’t fix homelessness. They keep arresting people anyway.
In the Lents neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, residents gathered at a public forum last June to voice their concerns about the city’s growing population of homeless individuals. Over the last decade, rent grew twice as fast in Portland as the rest of the country, and the estimated number of people experiencing homelessness increased by nearly…
Environment
Threats of heat waves, wildfires and smoke loom over Oregon’s summer
Portland is emerging from one of the wettest springs on record and heading into summer drought-free, but Oregonians outside of the Willamette Valley aren’t feeling the same relief — much of the state remains in extreme or severe drought. Although much of the northwestern portion of the state is free of any drought conditions, it’s…
Opinion
Kaia Sand | When policing is more important than housing, the unhoused are over-policed
Imagine a city in which some people have plenty, and some barely have anything at all. Kaia Sand is the executive director of Street Roots. This column represents her views. There are houses, townhouses, apartments and mobile homes in which people have set up homes. Some people earn wages high enough to manage rent and…
