Skip to main content
Street Roots Donate
Portland, Oregon's award-winning weekly street newspaper
For those who can't afford free speech
Twitter Facebook RSS Vimeo Instagram
▼
Open menu
▲
Close menu
▼
Open menu
▲
Close menu
  • Advertise with Us
  • Contact
  • Job Openings
  • Donate
  • About
  • future home
  • Vendors
  • Rose City Resource
  • Advocacy
  • Support
News
  • News
  • Housing
  • Environment
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Orange Fence Project
  • Podcasts
  • Vendor Profiles
  • Archives

Kaia Sand

Executive Director

Kaia Sand
Motoya Nakamura

she/her

Kaia Sand became executive director of Street Roots in late 2017, two decades after she worked as a staff reporter for the Burnside Cadillac, the predecessor to Street Roots. In those subsequent 20 years, Sand worked as a poet, artist, community organizer, and university professor, focusing particularly on economic injustice and homelessness — from a magic show she created about the financial collapse to the Right 2 Survive Ambassador Program she co-founded for housed people to learn from people experiencing homelessness. She taught at Portland State University, Pacific University, Willamette University and St. Mary’s College of Maryland; co-founded Vignettes & Verses, a writing and personal history institute; and performed and taught internationally, including in England, Ireland and Brazil. She has widely exhibited her artwork and served in residencies, from a public art commision at the City of Portland Archives and Records Center to the Despina International Artist Residency in Rio de Janeiro. A  member of PEN America, she is author of three books of poetry — interval (a Small Press Traffic Book of the Year in 2004), Remember to Wave and A Tale of Magicians Who Puffed Up Money that Lost its Puff — and the co-author of Landscapes of Dissent: Guerrilla Poetry & Public Space. Two books in Jim Dine's Hot Dreams series are comprised of her text. In 2019 she was awarded a Spirit of Portland award by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty; and in 2019, the regional Society of Professional Journalists small newsroom first prize for Best Column.

Articles by Kaia Sand

  • Street Roots
    Street Roots vendor Melissa smiles for a photo while wearing a hat and face mask.

    Kaia Sand | Tell us your Street Roots vendor stories

    Opinion | Human connection, despite housing status, makes us stronger
    By
    Kaia Sand
    May 31, 2023
  • Street Roots
    James Hammond stands in his Street Roots gear

    Kaia Sand | He survived the fire, but now he needs housing

    Opinion | The May 16 fire at the May Apartments displaced Street Roots vendor James Hammond and many others
    By
    Kaia Sand
    May 19, 2023
  • Street Roots
    A photo of a brick building that says "Social Security Administration" on the facade.

    Kaia Sand | Why is poverty relief so gut-wrenchingly difficult?

    Opinion | Sociologist Matthew Desmond estimates $140 billion a year in benefits to low-income people go unclaimed
    By
    Kaia Sand
    May 17, 2023
  • Street Roots
    Mayor Ted Wheeler speaks at a press conference

    Kaia Sand | Keeping Portland Street Response on track demands disciplined focus

    Opinion | The work to create a whole new first responder system must transcend one administration, one person, one moment
    By
    Kaia Sand
    April 19, 2023
  • Street Roots
    Mishele Martin smiles for a photo wearing a hard hat and her arms crossed across her chest.

    Kaia Sand | We build this neighborhood together

    Opinion | As construction continues at Street Roots’ new building, I am reminded compassion is key
    By
    Kaia Sand
    April 12, 2023
  • Street Roots
    Jessica Vega Pederson speaks to a room of people sitting at tables surrounding her.

    Kaia Sand | Street Roots vendors address housing needs with county chair, commissioner

    Opinion | Unhoused constituents have important experiences to inform policy
    By
    Kaia Sand Haley Grieco-Page
    April 5, 2023
  • Street Roots
    A photo of Street Roots new building on West Burnside Street. A crowd is gathered outside the building.

    Kaia Sand | Street Roots celebrates expansion

    Opinion | Street Roots broke ground on renovations for its new, expanded West Burnside Street office last week, ushering in a new era with expanded services
    By
    Kaia Sand
    March 22, 2023
  • Street Roots
    Nick Laycox sits in front of monitors with headphones on and answers calls.

    Kaia Sand | Yes, please do call 911 for Portland Street Response

    Opinion | Requesting PSR requires calling 911, here's how it works:
    By
    Kaia Sand
    March 16, 2023
  • Street Roots
    DeVon Pouncey smiles holding up a cash box labeled "Snow Day Fund."

    Kaia Sand | You stepped up, ‘Supportland’ style

    OPINION | 890 Street Roots supporters pitched in $30,000 of snow aid
    By
    Kaia Sand
    March 7, 2023
  • Street Roots
    Exterior of Falls City High School building. A marquee in front of the building says, "Falls City High School. Home of the Mountaineers."

    Kaia Sand | Oregon HB 2001 addresses homelessness statewide

    OPINION | House Bill 2001 expands on Gov. Kotek's homelessness state of emergency
    By
    Kaia Sand
    March 1, 2023

Pages

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • next »

1 of 21

▼
Open menu
▲
Close menu
  • © 2021 Street Roots. All rights reserved. To request permission to reuse content, email editor@streetroots.org.
  • Read Street Roots' commenting policy
  • Support Street Roots
  • Like what you're reading? Street Roots is made possible by readers like you! Your support fuels our in-depth reporting, and each week brings you original news you won't find anywhere else. Thank you for your support!

  • DONATE