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Opinion | Confronting wealth disparity is key to addressing the housing crisis

The state's lowest earners struggle to afford housing, deep wealth inequality persists When then-Portland Mayor Charlie Hales declared a housing state of emergency in 2015, many knew the housing crisis had been brewing for decades. The evidence was v ...

17 Jan 2023 - Tyler Mac Innis
Guaranteed basic income program promotes healing, resilience among Black Portlanders

Brown Hope aims to support Black communities through basic income programs The local nonprofit that distributed millions of dollars to Black Portlanders throughout the pandemic is launching a new program to further support Black Portlanders — three years ...

24 Aug 2022 - Mia Ryder-Marks
Just keep building?

The housing shortage plays a role, but building more homes won't fix the affordability crisis. If someone lives in Oregon, there’s a low probability their rent is considered affordable. Half of all Oregon renters spend more than 30% of their income o ...

1 Jun 2022 - Piper McDaniel
Oregon doesn’t evaluate vast majority of tax breaks, costing billions in lost revenue

Gov. Kate Brown says special tax treatment amplifies racial inequity A recent state audit of a mortgage tax deduction found it disproportionately benefited wealthy, white Oregonians — Street Roots found many other tax deductions may share the same charac ...

13 Apr 2022 - Piper McDaniel
Opinion | Using austerity to fight inflation falls short

New policies that better support workers and employ more people are needed T here appears to be growing consensus among economists and policymakers that inflation is now the main threat to the US economy and the Federal Reserve Board needs to start ratche ...

2 Feb 2022 - Martin Hart-Lan...
As eviction crisis looms, tenant unions offer support

Rising unemployment, financial instability and pandemic uncertainty prompt uptick in renter organizing P andemic woes and landlord harassment sparked a surge in tenant unions. Early in the third year of the pandemic, as the omicron variant unravels the sm ...

2 Feb 2022 - Piper McDaniel
Proximity to vital resources from Safe Rest Villages

Proposed Safe Rest Village sites vary in distance and availability to key resources for homeless communities. Here's what we found: Homeless Portlanders, advocates and politicians have a range of thoughts about the pros and cons of sanctioned encampm ...

18 Jan 2022 - Taylor Griggs
From a roughly $100 traffic ticket to nearly $9,000 in debt

DMV fees waived to encourage license reinstatement, but barriers remain for those with debt from minor infractions Malik Seamster needs to get his daughter to and from school, go to the grocery store, landscaping or warehouse jobs and elsewhere. Without a ...

29 Dec 2021 - Jake Thomas
OPINION | Narrative of reduced police funds causing gun violence is misleading

TRANSFORMING JUSTICE | Reasons for increased crime vary, so solutions should too Violent crime is up in cities across the nation, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and now Portland — a city not usually on the high-crime map. Mothers are los ...

17 Nov 2021 - Shannon Wight
OPINION | America: A land of inequities

Contributor Brian Greer reflects on America's wealth inequities and its consequences In the morning, my wife and I walk to our favorite coffeehouse. We stop at the coffeehouse right across the street to chat with neighbors, the one we call “the place ...

6 Oct 2021 - Brian Greer