Portland's independent, alternative weekly news source

Street Roots

Finding Home

A series of in-depth articles examining national perspectives around America’s growing housing and homeless crisis.
- Read more about Finding Home
Street Roots

The Next Generation

The Next Generation is a Street Roots series that focuses on the well-being and housing stability of children and young adults, locally and nationally, and explores the work being done to prevent another generation from becoming homeless. Street Roots received funding from Meyer Memorial Trust's Housing Advocacy Portfolio to develop dedicated reporting for The Next Generation series.
- Read more about The Next Generation

The ornate arches of Old Town/Chinatown in Portland.

Portland’s new shelter referral system becoming less effective with time

Street Services Coordination Center offering fewer shelter referrals as sweeps increase

Tyler Walicek K. Rambo

July 20, 2022

A photo of the White Stag building. The "Portland Oregon" sign sits atop the building. The sign has an outline of the state of Oregon and a deer leaping over the words. Black text says, "swept away" on the right side of the image.

Old Town’s 90-day ‘reset’ yields sweeps with little notice, no advance postings

Unhoused Portlanders swept using the tactic say it undermines safety, stability and human dignity

K. Rambo

July 6, 2022

Tape that says "police line do not cross" sections off an area. In that area, three police officers are standing watch. People behind them are gathering possessions and tents on the sidewalk.

Police know arrests won’t fix homelessness. They keep arresting people anyway.

Melissa Lewis

June 29, 2022

City of Portland posts many homeless encampments at least twice before a sweep

The city extends the legal window for sweeps by posting and reposting encampments, which can cause distress and logistical issues for unhoused Portlanders

K. Rambo

June 22, 2022

Illustrations of a house with a chimney, front door and a hammer and dollar bills atop the roof. The illustrations are on a blue background.

Just keep building?

The housing shortage plays a role, but building more homes won't fix the affordability crisis.

Piper McDaniel

June 1, 2022

Two signs hang on a fence outside the Queer Affinity Village. The signs say, "respect people's privacy" and "there's no place in portland for hate"

Neighborhood associations demand criminal background checks in Safe Rest Villages citywide, prompting discrimination concerns

City officials did not say if background checks are being considered

Piper McDaniel

May 25, 2022

A photo shows a key placed in a lock. The key has a keychain hanging on it in the shape of a house.

Independent homebuyers can’t compete with investors

Amid tight housing market, investors snap up homes in record numbers. Portland renters and prospective non-investment homebuyers are feeling the impact.

Melanie Henshaw

April 13, 2022