Cool for the Summer: The Disproportionate Dangers of the Summer Heat

With summer approaching, people are preparing for the sweltering heat by purchasing fans, stocking up on water, preparing AC units, and rescheduling outdoor activities for cooler times of the day. The summer heat is not a major concern for many, but for those experiencing homelessness, new challenges arise on top of preexisting ones.

Long-term exposure to high temperatures affects everyone, but it disproportionately endangers those who experience homelessness, housing insecurity, and lack air conditioning in their homes. According to Heat.gov, this population is more at risk from heat and heat-related illness due to a variety of factors, such as mental health conditions, substance abuse, chronic health issues, dehydration, and disabilities. The heat can significantly worsen these conditions as well. In addition, accessing medical help during this hot season can be difficult for these individuals due to distance, a lack of transportation, or financial difficulties. Heat can significantly spoil food faster since bacteria multiply faster under warmer temperatures, posing a health risk and further limiting people’s access to resources they already have with them.

Portland is an urban heat island, which refers to cities that tend to get warmer (especially during the summer) than surrounding urban areas. Darker surfaces, such as asphalt roads and concrete sidewalks, absorb more light and heat from the sun, making them much warmer than other surfaces and materials. Fortunately, Portland’s vegetation provides shade to cool off the city and its inhabitants. The only issue is that sweeps have been increasing, which forcibly displaces the homeless population from one spot to another, breaking up communities and preventing them from being able to support one another. These sweeps do not mean that people can simply move to a shelter. There could be limited access/available space, a lack of trust, mobility challenges, and curfews that make it extremely difficult for them to be a reliable place to stay cool and away from the heat.

So, how can people stay cool if none of these options are viable?

Some suggestions include a buddy/support system, avoiding strenuous activities during the hottest hours of the day, staying in shaded areas, wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that covers your skin, and knowing where to find local cooling centers. These suggestions may not be easy to implement for some individuals, which is why the city needs to improve at reducing heat risk not only for the homeless communities, but for the rest of the city, too. Instead of sweeping homeless communities, the city should open more accessible shelters and cooling centers, remove curfews, and remove restrictions that create more barriers to staying at these shelters. 

The community can help too. Communicate with each other, build trust, relay information, and work with others to provide food, water, and other resources to those in need. The sun’s heat indiscriminately affects everyone, but it’s the varying access to resources, shelter, cooling alternatives, and support that especially endangers people experiencing homelessness.

To learn more, click on these resources:

Homeless Portlanders, Service Providers Prepare for Heat

Help for When it's Hot

Beating the Heat on the Street

Landfills & Leftovers: Food or Garbage?

Leftovers. Everyone loves them, until their fridge is ridden with too much alfredo pasta for their own good.. 

Jokes aside, food waste is much more than just discarding your perfectly good leftovers. The United States, alone, throws away 92 billion TONS of food each year. This food comes from consumers in their homes, poor business practices, overproduction, expiration, and various parts of the food supply chain. According

to moveforhunger.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the issue of hunger and food waste:

American consumers, businesses, and farms spend $218 billion, or 1.3% of their gross domestic product,

growing, processing, and disposing of food that is never eaten. On average, businesses are taking a $74

billion loss on food waste every year”. 

This means in America alone there are billions of dollars worth of food wasted that could be redistributed

or otherwise re-used, which would as a result save the American economy billions of dollars on actually

processing their food waste. If overproduction is an issue, we need to scale back the amount of product we

buy for our businesses and homes if we know it’s too much. Otherwise, there should be infrastructure in

place in order to keep as much nutritious food on hand as possible, in order to minimize the amount of

waste produced. 

What does this mean for homelessness? It means that in addition to scaling back our production and

consumption, we need to have systems in place for people who can’t buy food, and for food that doesn’t

have people to eat it. There are already soup kitchens, food pantries, food drives, government assistance,

missions, and things like that which designate a place for people to go to who need immediate help with

things like food and other necessities. However, this doesn’t address the glaring issue of wasted food.

We could increase our number of soup kitchens 100 fold, and actually see an increase in food waste and

overall use of product. We should incentivize people to donate their unused food instead of throwing it

away. Avoiding food waste benefits the buyer, the seller, garbage collectors, and people who need food.

Public infrastructure tied to food would create more jobs and reduce our food waste, reserving more

resources for those who need them.

In the meantime, before the United States and local communities develop the optimal infrastructure to

keep our food out of landfills, we as individuals, families, and businesses can commit to doing our best to

reduce food waste. This means saving the leftovers, freezing them, and never throwing food away.

If you don’t want it, find someone else who wants it. If no one else wants it, compost it. If you truly can’t

get rid of your unwanted food, ask yourself, should I have bought this much food in the first place?

We can plan ahead and not over-produce. We can decide to use our freezers to store food for our future,

and unused food. We can also decide to save our ‘expired’ food (which is usually not), mis-shapen food,

and otherwise undesirable food for those who need it. We can decide to make a weekly or biweekly trip to

the soup kitchen. We have to make small choices in order to reduce our food waste. These choices will

hopefully ensure that more houseless individuals and people in need can access food, instead of being

turned away due to the lack of food. 

Soup kitchens should be abundant with food and landfills should be filled with garbage, not food.

The Environmental Impact of Food Waste

New Research Reveals Frozen Food’s Role in Reducing Food Waste

Charging Stations: A Lifeline for Some

 

 

Most of us hope to spend our elder years in comfort. It’s a difficult reality that many of the unhoused in our society are seniors, and that any of us could face the same fate if we experience the right amount of wrong circumstances. Our culture often paints homelessness as a personal or moral failing, and as such, there can be a strong resistance to providing basic services to those living on the streets. But everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and kindness, no matter their situation. This is not what happened with a Portland resident who was charged with theft for simply trying to charge her cell phone in public.  
 
It’s painful to imagine the need for someone to avoid certain areas of town where she once walked safely with her kids and grandkids. That fear of harassment from police officers and others could be such an unwelcome change as to warrant this avoidance. Yet that was the experience of one woman, who has chosen to remain nameless, living on the streets of Portland and waiting to be approved for affordable housing. Her disability payments, necessitated by muscular dystrophy, were too low to afford anything else. After joining a homeless peer charging their cell phone using an outlet on a sidewalk planter box, both her and her companion were charged with third-degree theft of services, a Class C misdemeanor. Neither of them realized this was a private outlet belonging to the business next to the planter box, nor did they realize this could be considered a crime. They were simply trying their best to survive in a bad situation. 

There are options out there for people with low or no income to get a free phone. But the constant need to keep that device charged is a struggle many wouldn’t think about. A phone is not a luxury item; it is a vital tool that connects people with what they need to survive and to better their lives. A phone enables one to apply for jobs, for housing, and for food stamps. A phone lets people talk to their loved ones. Being able to call for help can be a necessary lifeline for women in dangerous situations. Access to a charged cell phone is a basic level of quality of life that everyone should have. 

It is a stain on any society that a grandmother would be forced to live on the streets for any reason, much less for being on disability. The very least that could be offered is an easy way to charge their phone. Luckily the DA ended up dropping this specific case the night before her trial, being convicted could have jeopardized her chances at being approved for housing. 

The fact is that all of us could end up in her shoes, so we owe it to ourselves and each other to ask our cities to provide easy and free charging access to all members of society. There are companies like GrowCharge that design and build solar charging stations, including a public bench design, similar to those already in use in Central Park and Stanford University. Hospitality Hub, a nonprofit in Memphis, Tennessee, is a public space that offers amenities like cell phone charging to anyone who needs it. The options are there, we just need to prioritize them.  

To read more about how important a charged cell phone is for those experiencing homelessness, the Portland woman charged with theft, or different options for charging stations, check out the links below. 

Cellphones Are a Lifeline for Unhoused People—But Barriers Abound Shelterforce 

Homeless phone-charging “thief” wanted security - Street Roots

Solar Phone Charging Stations For Cities 

Design public space for homeless people? This Memphis nonprofit did - Street Roots

Is Homelessness a Crime?

 

Illustration by Hisashi Okawa

Did you know that it is punishable to sleep outside, even if no housing or shelter is available? Sounds unfair, right?

In 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson that punishing someone for sleeping in public spaces, even if they have nowhere else to stay, does not violate the Eighth Amendment. In other words, they believed that it is not a “cruel and unusual” punishment. This allows other cities nationwide to pass laws that make unsheltered homelessness a legally punishable offense.

Lawmakers all over the country are attempting to sweep the crisis (and the people) under the rug without addressing the real, bigger issues that can effectively end homelessness. As of last month, Housing Not Handcuffs reported that 22 states are considering introducing new anti-homeless laws. That is nearly half the country considering criminalizing homelessness. While they are pushing to punish people experiencing homelessness, they are also slashing investments for housing, treatments, and other supports that would otherwise aid those in need.

Why does this matter? Criminalizing homelessness does nothing to solve the crisis at hand. Instead, these flawed laws effectively trap people already experiencing homelessness into a deeper pit. Arrests and tickets create criminal records, preventing people from getting jobs, qualifying for housing, and receiving other benefits that would have actually helped in ending homelessness. Research conducted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness shows there is no evidence that it reduces homelessness. All it does is forcefully remove people from one public space to the next, creating an endless, needless cycle.

The majority of people experiencing homelessness are not unsheltered by choice. Many factors can come into play, such as a lack of affordable housing, mental and physical health care, or adequate shelter. There are many barriers, both visible and invisible ones, that make it increasingly difficult to escape unsheltered homelessness. Lawmakers should focus on passing bills that increase affordable housing and other forms of support and aid, rather than pushing for punitive measures.

It’s unnecessary and dehumanizing to criminalize homelessness. Stop passing anti-homeless laws and start providing support for those experiencing homelessness.

It should never be a crime to seek shelter.

Click on these links to learn more about decriminalizing homelessness:

Tracking the Criminalization of Homelessness

What Communities Need to Know About the Decriminalization of Homelessness

The Hidden Struggle of Staying Clean While Homeless

                                         

For most people, taking a shower, washing clothes, or brushing their teeth is part of a normal daily routine. These are things many people do without even thinking about them. However, for people experiencing homelessness, staying clean can become one of the hardest parts of daily life. Something as simple as finding a bathroom, clean water, or a safe place to shower is not always easy. Many homeless individuals do not have regular access to hygiene products such as soap, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, or clean clothes. This affects not only physical health, but also mental health, confidence, and how people are treated by others in public spaces.

A study about hygiene practices among homeless individuals in Boston found that many people experiencing homelessness struggle with access to showers, laundry, and sanitation facilities. The study explained that limited hygiene access can increase the risk of infections, skin conditions, dental problems, and other illnesses. Some individuals reported washing clothes in public sinks or depending on shelters, friends, or public programs just to shower or do laundry. These situations show how difficult basic hygiene can become without stable housing and reliable resources. 

Lack of hygiene can also affect opportunities in everyday life. Imagine trying to attend a job interview, school, or a medical appointment without being able to shower or wash your clothes for several days. Many homeless individuals already face unfair judgment from society, and hygiene struggles can increase embarrassment, stress, and stigma even more. Some businesses also restrict bathroom access to paying customers, making it harder for homeless individuals to meet even their most basic needs.

The study also explained that hygiene is connected to dignity and emotional well being, not just cleanliness. Even small things like clean clothes, access to soap, or warm shower can help someone feel more confident, respected, and comfortable around others. These simple resources can make a major difference in a person's daily life.

Hygiene is a basic human need not a luxury. Supporting shelters, donating hygiene kits, and improving access to public bathrooms, showers, and laundry services can make a real difference. Even small actions like free shower programs or public restrooms can help people stay healthy and maintain dignity. If we want to truly support homeless communities, we need to understand that staying clean is often much harder than most people realize and that small resources can have a big impact on a person's confidence, health, and opportunities. 

To learn more about homelessness and hygiene access here is the article: 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5580630/

                                        

The Small Things We Don’t See: Water, Dignity, and Portland’s Streets

 

Walk through Portland early in the morning and you’ll notice something most people miss. Not just tents or tarps, but the quiet routines happening around them. Someone pouring bottled water over their hands. Someone using a rag to wipe down a surface that will be dirty again in an hour. Someone trying to take care of their body with almost nothing.

We talk about houselessness here in big terms, housing shortages, funding, policy failure. All of that matters. But there’s a more immediate layer that shapes daily life, and it’s access to basic sanitation.

In Multnomah County, thousands of people are living unsheltered on any given night. For many of them, there is no reliable place to wash their hands, clean a wound, or use a restroom that feels even remotely safe. Public bathrooms exist, but they close. Hygiene stations get installed, but they break or aren’t maintained. What looks like a solution on paper often doesn’t hold up in practice.

This has real consequences. When you can’t clean a cut properly, small injuries turn into infections. When you don’t have consistent access to a restroom, you’re forced into situations that are unsafe, or criminalized. Public health becomes harder to manage, not just for houseless individuals, but for the city as a whole. This isn’t separate from the rest of Portland. It’s deeply connected to it.

There’s also something less measurable but just as important. The loss of dignity. Hygiene is tied to how we move through the world, how we’re perceived, and how we perceive ourselves. When that’s stripped away, it reinforces a cycle of invisibility. It becomes harder to access services, harder to be taken seriously, and harder to enter stable housing.

Portland has tried to respond. Programs like portable toilets, handwashing stations, and nonprofit outreach have made a difference. Street Roots and similar organizations continue to push for better access and accountability. But the scale is still off. A handful of stations cannot meet the needs of thousands of people spread across the city. And when these services are treated as temporary or optional, they’re often the first to disappear.

What’s frustrating is that this is one of the more solvable parts of the crisis. Expanding public hygiene access doesn’t require waiting years for new housing developments. It requires funding, maintenance, and a shift in how we think about public space. Cities like San Francisco and Seattle have invested in staffed, 24-hour hygiene centers. Portland could do more of the same, and do it better.

There’s also a design issue we tend to ignore. Many public restrooms are built to deter use rather than support it. Harsh lighting, uncomfortable layouts, limited privacy. What if we approached these spaces differently? Clean, well-maintained, and designed with the same care we give to places meant for paying customers. That shift wouldn’t just improve usability, it would signal that people using them are worth designing for.

It’s easy to dismiss this as a small piece of a much larger problem. But small doesn’t mean insignificant. These are the conditions people live in every single day. If those conditions don’t change, the larger solutions we talk about will continue to fall short.

You should care because this isn’t just about people living outside. It’s about the kind of city Portland is becoming. Basic sanitation is not a luxury. It’s a baseline for public health, safety, and dignity. Ignoring it doesn’t make the problem go away, it just makes it harder to fix.

If you want to see how this is already being addressed, and where the gaps still are, take a few minutes to look through the work being done locally.

Click here to learn more or support efforts in Portland: https://www.streetroots.org

Charging for Change

 

Society has put us 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.

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