Opinion
Opinion | Incarceration should not be a default solution to crime
Few pop culture quips are more memorable than 1970s TV detective Tony Baretta’s “Don't do the crime if you can't do the time!” A periodic column from Partnership for Safety and Justice, a nonprofit that advocates for public safety and criminal justice reform in Oregon. For nearly 50 years, countless aspiring “tough-on-crime” politicians have repeated…
Kaia Sand | Yes, please do call 911 for Portland Street Response
– A woman was in distress, standing in Peninsula Park. The caller knew her and requested Portland Street Response to help her calm down. Kaia Sand is the executive director of Street Roots. This column represents her views. – A person was lying on the sidewalk along Northeast Halsey Street, screaming. No, the caller did not…
Opinion | How parking makes our city less livable and less affordable
At the start of 2023, Oregon embarked on the first experiment of its kind in modern U.S. history. The state rolled back required parking minimums for new construction starting Jan. 3. This means developers have significantly more flexibility when it comes to the number of parking spaces they build with new housing projects. A periodic…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile | Moving towards a better place
On a red rug in the back of the Street Roots office, a small, white dog curled up for a nap. 'Shameless' Sheamus, 30, stared down at the rescue. “He usually likes laying on my jacket,” Sheamus said, pointing to the spot where he had laid out his camo jacket at his feet. Sheamus and…
Housing
House Bill 2001: A Political Odyssey
The 2023 Oregon Legislature may well be remembered as the session when the governor and lawmakers devoted more than $200 million to confront homelessness. Or so hopes state Rep. Mark Gamba, D-Portland. "At sine die, we will look back at this bill as one of the seminal, the critical, bills of this session," Gamba said…
Urban Alchemy is coming to Portland
An oft-sued nonprofit is poised to play a major role in Portland’s controversial mass homeless camps. Mayor Ted Wheeler announced the city selected Urban Alchemy to run at least one mass homeless camp March 9 — a pivotal first step in the city’s effort to install up to six mass camps. Much like the mass…
