Hostile Architecture

You see it more and more. A bench that’s strategically had another arm rest added right in the middle of the seat to prevent anyone from lying across. Spikes on flat surfaces that are just barely pretending to be aesthetic flourishes, and “coincidently” preventing anyone from sitting comfortably. Seats that are sloped ever so slightly, preventing more than a moment's rest. These design choices are part of a larger trend to prevent homeless citizens from accessing places of rest, some subtle, some less subtle. 

It might make sense on the surface. A public bench is for sitting, not sleeping, so why shouldn’t we prevent people from using it as a bed? But there’s a dark underside to that train of thought. The implication that is being suggested here is that there is a “right” way to use a public service, and a “wrong” way. That simply is not the case. A public bench is meant to provide rest, nothing more, nothing less, and no citizen has a greater claim to it than another. 

It’s all about appearances, really. When someone is denied a place to sleep due to hostile architecture, they do not suddenly no longer need somewhere to sleep. Instead they are simply being told that anywhere they choose to sleep should be out of the way, hidden. That’s not solving the problem of homelessness, that’s sweeping it under the rug and pretending it’s not there. And suppose every rest spot, every public seat is converted into these hostile forms of themselves. You’d be left with a city that says to anyone looking at it, “I chose to develop these ugly, tumorous growths because I wanted to ignore a problem rather than solve it.” A city should be beautiful, and it should have character, and it shouldn’t sacrifice these things to pretend that things are better than they are. You may find the sight of a homeless person sleeping on a bench unsightly. Is it more unsightly than an empty bench proudly proclaiming how discriminatory it is?
I don’t think so.

To see more of how this problem is developing in cities across the nation, take a look at this article: CLICK

Homelessness and the Cost of Disconnection

 

Think - when was the last time you used your phone? What did you use it for? Checking Instagram? Netflix?

Dinner plans? How about the essentials, like your bank account, or paying your bills? Medical appointments?

Job applications or communication with your employer? GPS? Emergency services? 

Chances are, you use your phone or computer for ALL of these things, and more. 

Are you surprised at how often you need your phone? If so, you may also be surprised that houseless individuals

need access to all of these essentials too, (not that Netflix and Instagram are essentials!) and they need technology

to do so: Phones, tablets, computers, whatever gets the job done. 

Research on the digital divide shows that the overwhelming majority of houseless people are using smartphones

on a regular basis, going through devices at twice the rate of the general population. Statistics on mental health,

physical health and aging, chronic illness incarceration, becoming a victim of violence or harassment, and more

show us that houseless individuals are more likely than the general population to experience all of these hardships

on a daily basis, in addition to lack of access to stable housing, utilities, technology, and community. The terms

‘houseless’ and ‘homeless’ do not even begin to scratch the surface of what life is actually like in our current society

without shelter. That being said, access to technology, including the internet and electricity, is crucial for our

survival. Not having a reliable source of internet or electricity means you have to plan your life around those

services - not around what’s best for your health. A dead phone or ‘dead-zone’ could cause you to miss essential

communications outlined above, including but not limited to financial accounts, medical communications,

employer communications and job inquiries, GPS services, emergency services, and more. 

Because these essential elements of our lives are wrapped up in the digital wild west, we need to incorporate

access to technology as an essential part of our infrastructure, like water or other utilities, instead of assuming

that everyone has the means to gain access to technology, or that someone can bypass the technology altogether.

Our infrastructure doesn’t care about those that can’t access the internet or aren’t tech-savvy. I propose that we

change public digital infrastructure, for built-in connections. This would enable houseless individuals to participate

in society more effectively and regularly, increasing their chances of obtaining shelter, steady employment, and

access to healthcare. Tech companies could also be incentivized to benefit from an increase in use of these services,

as we already know that the overwhelming majority of houseless individuals use smartphones, jumping through

whatever hoops and obstacles they need to in order to stay connected. 

If we increase public access to technology with infrastructure, our society will benefit as a whole from the increase

in societal connectivity and individual stability.

No Digital Divide? Technology Use among Homeless Adults  

What is Digital Public Infrastructure and why does it matter? 

Why digital public infrastructure is key to building a connected future

Charging for Change

 

    Society has put ourselves in a situation where we rely too much on cell phones. We take for granted how we can stay connected with anyone at any time. No imagine you had nowhere to charge your phone. You might think, "Hey I can just charge this at home." But what if you didn't have a home to go back to. This is the reality for most of the un-homed population. Not having a phone can prevent people from not being able to contact their family or case workers, apply for jobs, or even be able to find shelters or just use a map. 

    When I was younger, I showed up for a job interview wearing jeans. The people who were interviewing kicked me right out the door without asking me a single question. In hindsight I dodged a bullet with that job but there are jobs out there that judge people off their appearance. Imagen finding a clean interview outfit but your phone dies right when they call you to set up a date for the interview, and you have no idea when you will be able to charge your phone again. This does make it a little bit difficult for people to get their life back together. 

    What I suggest we can do to fix this issue is to leave charging ports at transit stops. I know there's a few charging ports on the MAX but putting some on the bus would also be a good idea. I also suggest that they pass out solar panel chargers at shelters or missions to allow their phones to charge on sunny days. In the long run we all know how it feels to be carrying around a dead phone. We need to do something to make that aspect of life a little bit easier for everyone. At the end of the day a phone is more than just a tool to distract you from the world, It’s a lifeline. It’s the thing that connects people with family and job opportunities. This small rectangle is what is keeping most of us employed.

https://twitter.com/ecopolproject

https://www.tiktok.com/@ecolife.project?lang=en

https://www.freegeek.org/

 

                                               

Thinking Outside the Box

 

PO Box. Two words. One of the simplest fixes imaginable.

And yet for hundreds of thousands of people experiencing homelessness in the US, it might as well not exist.

You can't get a PO Box without an ID. You can't always get an ID without an address. And you can't get much of anything (benefits, job offers, housing notices) without somewhere to receive mail. There's no way in, and the system doesn't care.

A job offer goes out. A benefits approval. A court date. A spot opens up at a shelter. They all arrive the same way, by mail. Miss one and you're not just inconvenienced. You're set back months. Sometimes years. Sometimes you never catch up.

The systems that are supposed to help you can't find you.

But here's the thing, this is actually one of the more solvable problems in the homelessness conversation. It doesn't require building anything. It doesn't require a bond measure or a years-long policy fight.

Some cities have already figured it out. Designated mailing addresses through nonprofits. PO box programs run out of shelters. ID and mail services at public libraries. Simple, low-cost, and when they're funded, they work.

The problem isn't that solutions don't exist. It's that most people have never heard of them, and most cities haven't bothered to scale them.

A mailing address isn't a luxury. It's infrastructure. And treating it like one might be one of the most straightforward steps a city can take toward actually helping people find a way out.

And if you live in Portland, this is your city. These are your neighbors. The solutions exist right here, right now. Someone just has to push for them.

Click here to see how Transition Projects in Portland is already making it happen →

Why Connection to the Online World Matter's

 "When Your Phone Dies, So Do Opportunities"

Imagine your phone dying, and you have no way to charge it!

For most of us, that’s just annoying and a simple fix. We plug it in later and don’t think much about it. But for people experiencing homelessness, a dead phone can mean something way bigger. It could mean missing a job call, losing contact with a caseworker, or not being able to reach someone in an emergency.

Phones aren’t just for scrolling anymore, they’re how people stay connected to everything in the modern world. A lot of people without stable housing actually do have phones and they use them to communicate, find useful services, and also stay connected to new opportunities. But having a phone doesn’t really matter if you can’t keep it charged at all.

This is something that’s especially relevant in places like Portland where homelessness is very visible and continues to grow. Walking around the city, it’s not hard to see how many people are dealing with unstable living situations. But what isn’t always obvious are the smaller everyday barriers like access to power. That makes it even harder for people to get back on their feet.

That’s where the real problem comes in. Finding a place to charge isn’t always easy either. Public outlets are limited and a lot of places don’t allow it. Also safe and reliable access just isn’t guaranteed. Libraries close and not every shelter has enough space or resources for consistent access for everyone. So even if someone is trying to stay connected, one dead battery can cut them off completely from that world.

It’s easy to overlook something like this because it feels small, but it really isn’t. Something as simple as keeping a phone charged can be the difference between moving forward or staying stuck. A missed call or message might not seem like much, but over time those missed connections add up and create even more barriers.

Most of us and even me, don’t even think twice about plugging in our phone before bed. It’s just part of our routine. But for others that same basic thing isn’t always an option and that lack of access quietly shuts down opportunities every day.

If you want to see how mobile phones are actually being used by people experiencing homelessness and why access to charging matters more than most people realize, click here to learn more: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6516785/

 “It’s Not Just Stuff, It’s Stability” 

Why Storage Could Change Portland’s Homeless Crisis

What if one small fix could make a real dent in homelessness, not solve it entirely, but actually move people forward?
Sounds unlikely, right?

So let’s start with a simple question:

Is homelessness really about housing or are we missing something smaller but critical?
Housing is the big picture, no doubt. But what often gets ignored are the day-to-day barriers that keep people stuck.

One of the biggest?

Not having a safe place to store personal belongings.

When you’re carrying everything you own, your priorities shift. You’re not thinking about job applications, you’re thinking, 

“Will my stuff still be here when I get back?”

That constant risk creates a cycle: stay with your belongings, miss opportunities, stay stuck.

But isn’t this just a temporary inconvenience?
Not even close.

Losing belongings while living unsheltered can be devastating. IDs, medications, clothing, and personal items are often irreplaceable in the short term. Without an ID alone, accessing housing, employment, or benefits becomes incredibly difficult.

And in Portland, this happens more often than people think. When camps are cleared, people rarely recover what was taken. That means starting over, again and again.

This isn’t just inconvenient.
It’s destabilizing.

So how would storage actually help someone move forward?

Let’s flip the situation.

If someone had access to a secure locker during the day:

They could attend job interviews without carrying bags

They could safely store documents needed for housing applications

They could access healthcare without worrying about theft

They could move through the city more freely.

That’s not a small change, that’s a shift from survival mode to progress mode.
Cities that have tested storage programs consistently show increased engagement with services. When people feel even a small sense of stability, they’re more likely to take the next step.

But doesn’t this just “enable” homelessness instead of solving it?

That’s a common argument, but it misses the point.
Storage doesn’t enable homelessness.
It removes a barrier out of it.

Think about it: we already invest in emergency responses, cleanups, and short-term solutions. But if people can’t even protect their basic belongings, how can we expect them to transition into housing?

This is about giving people the minimum level of stability required to improve their situation.

What would this look like in Portland?

A smart, realistic approach could include:

Locker hubs near transit and service centers

Monitored access for safety and accountability

Partnerships with outreach programs

Data tracking to measure success

This isn’t just theoretical, it builds on models already being tested locally and nationally.
And it’s exactly the kind of practical, scalable idea that a Portland State University capstone project is meant to explore.

Is this actually worth taxpayer investment?

Here’s where it gets interesting.

Without solutions like storage:

People remain in visible, concentrated encampments

Cleanup and emergency response costs continue

Individuals struggle longer to exit homelessness

With storage:

Public spaces become more usable

People are more likely to engage with services

The path to employment and housing becomes more realistic

In other words, a relatively low-cost solution could reduce higher long-term costs.
So why should you care?
Because this isn’t just about compassion, it’s about functioning cities.

It’s about:

Cleaner, safer neighborhoods

Smarter use of public money

Helping people regain independence instead of staying stuck

And honestly, if one simple solution could help someone go from carrying their entire life on their back… to taking a step toward stability…

Wouldn’t that be worth trying?

Curious how this is already being tested in Portland, and what the results look like?
Click here to explore the city’s day storage program and see the impact for yourself:
https://www.portland.gov/homelessness-impact-reduction/day-storage

The Importance of Mobile Asset Storage and Security Programs

Secure your belongings. Restore stability. Support HoldSafe.

Having your belonging secured, you also secure your housing, employment, and health. 

 #affordable #housing #community #cost

By: Colette Laskey, Eman El-Tayib, Elizabeth Le, Emily Le, Nnamdi Ugonna - Marketing FTA