Director's Desk | At least 9 Street Roots vendors have moved from homelessness into housing in the last 3 months It’s not flashy news. It’s one-at-a-time, word-of-mouth kind of news. “I get my keys tomorrow.” “I’m getting housing.” “The apartment is ...
13 Jul 2022 - Kaia Sand
Opinion | Stable housing is vital, but remains underfunded compared to policing 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. T ...
29 Jun 2022 - Kaia Sand
Opinion | While projections are nowhere near last June’s heat dome, sun exposure is always a challenge for people living outside. Here’s how to support your houseless neighbors through the heat, and in many other ways: 1. Bring out the sun (and smoke) gea ...
22 Jun 2022 - Kaia Sand
Opinion | Portland should build a local Project Turnkey Program The Comfort Inn sign is now wrapped in black plastic, but plenty of hotel amenities remain at River Haven, a housing program for people in early recovery run by Central City Concern. The hote ...
15 Jun 2022 - Kaia Sand
Opinion | On the verge of investments in shelter, housing and services, city sweeps only serve to impede improvement Construction fences angled in odd directions shape the phantom of what was a smattering of tents on Northwest Second Avenue and Couch Stre ...
8 Jun 2022 - Kaia Sand
OPINION | Sweeps force people out of sight, but do nothing for long term housing options We sat down for our weekly meeting but there was no way Street Roots editor in chief K. Rambo and I could concentrate. The blue and red police lights flashed in the w ...
18 May 2022 - Kaia Sand
OPINION | People need agency in their own lives, and options when it comes to housing and shelter The bright daffodil stood upright like a spring flag against the blue-tarped tent on West Burnside Street. It was nearly 70 degrees last week and people were ...
13 Apr 2022 - Kaia Sand
OPINION | It took a lot of ‘yes, and’ to build a brand-new first responder system Plenty of civic dialogue focuses on what doesn’t work. Goodness knows I devote column inches to describing system failures. But the fact Portland Street Response is up and r ...
6 Apr 2022 - Kaia Sand
OPINION | The measure worsens homelessness, diverting funds away from solutions When the ambulance pulled up, Elizabeth Bodenstab nearly refused medical help. The Street Roots vendor who’d just had a seizure in front of our offices was willing to risk her ...
30 Mar 2022 - Kaia Sand
OPINION | An audit of the state’s Home Mortgage Interest Deduction reveals the tax policy’s inequities The largest government subsidy for housing in Oregon does not help people exit homelessness. Rather, it benefits high-income, white, urban Oregonians, a ...
23 Mar 2022 - Kaia Sand