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Life on the Streets: Laundry

How do unhoused people keep their clothes clean? Many don't; others rely on resourcefulness The scarcity of laundry, shower and public toilet facilities in downtown Portland stems, perhaps in part, from a historical view of homelessness as a temporar ...

28 Feb 2020 - Helen Hill
Life on the Streets: Fear goes both ways

That homeless people are dangerous is a misconception, Street Roots vendors say. And for some on the streets, it’s housed people who are feared. In a recent kickoff fundraiser for the Bybee Lakes Hope Center, a recovery program proposed for the never-used ...

24 Jan 2020 - Helen Hill
Life on the Streets: Family – a subject too painful for words

Losing family and friends as a result of homelessness can be more devastating than losing housing For the past year, Street Roots’ Life on the Streets series has dealt with the many issues people living in extreme poverty may experience. Our vendors have ...

27 Dec 2019 - Helen Hill
Life on the Streets: Public transit

Some Street Roots vendors say they’ve seen TriMet inspectors profile homeless people Ever since Portland’s TriMet made the decision in October to ramp up fare enforcement on MAX trains and add nine new inspectors, there’s been a lot of concern among those ...

29 Nov 2019 - Helen Hill
Life on the Streets: Growing old

Street Roots vendors share their experiences with aging while unhoused The streets are getting grayer. The proportion of elderly people experiencing poverty and homelessness has risen by more than 20% in the past 15 years, according to the U.S. Department ...

1 Nov 2019 - Helen Hill
Life on the Streets: Faith and spirituality

Several Street Roots vendors explain how their faith informs their decisions, their relationships, their outlook and more Many Street Roots vendors described their personal faith as the most important consideration in their lives, more important even than ...

27 Sep 2019 - Helen Hill
Life on the Streets: Beating the heat

Street Roots vendors discuss how they manage the summer weather and the toll it takes August is typically the hottest month of the year in Portland, with temperatures often soaring into the upper 80s and 90s. The downtown core is especially vulnerable, wi ...

16 Aug 2019 - Helen Hill
Life on the Streets: Prone to loss

People in extreme poverty are experts on loss, whether it be their belongings, their privacy, their dignity or anything else “My barn burned, now I can see the moon.” – Mizuta Masahide There are many levels of loss for people on the streets. There is the ...

12 Jul 2019 - Helen Hill
Life on the Streets: The proliferation of private guards

Some Street Roots vendors welcome the added security; others say private guards – who are not police – overstep their bounds Private security guards are ubiquitous these days. They silently survey the public in stores, on sidewalks, in schools, on campuse ...

28 Jun 2019 - Helen Hill
Life on the Streets: Foot health, a never-ending struggle

Nearly every Street Roots vendor who was asked had a story to tell about problems with feet People experiencing extreme poverty and homelessness often suffer from foot problems caused by ill-fitting or worn out shoes, wet shoes, shelter showers shared by ...

14 Jun 2019 - Helen Hill