I Am Not Invisible

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

I Am Not Invisible

I am a man. I am a woman. I am a child. I am a person.

I feel. I think. I care. I love.

I need help. I want help.

I am unsheltered.

Many people passing by our cardboard pallets and dirty tents that line the streets, turn a blind eye. Why? Perhaps it’s because they believe that someone else is helping us change our situations. Or because they believe that we choose homelessness. Or maybe it’s because we don’t fit into their neat, tidy version of reality. We are, most likely and contrary to what you might believe, not here by choice. And if I did choose homelessness, it was because being unsheltered was the lesser of two evils from which I had to choose.

Free Elderly homeless man sleeping on the street with a sign reading 'Homeless and Hungry'. Stock Photo

In 2024, there were nearly 23,000 “unsheltered” people in Oregon – 54 out of every 10000. Between 2007 and 2024 there was a 30% jump in homeless population (1). The top three reasons for homelessness are lack of affordable housing, substance abuse and mental health issues.

According to the portland.gov website, today Portland “has the highest unsheltered homeless rate in the city’s history, with 5,398 people living unsheltered at the last count. Meanwhile, unsheltered people are dying in unprecedented numbers. Some 456 people died unsheltered in Multnomah County in 2023, an increase of 477% since 2017” (2). These are sobering facts. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has a plan to address this humanitarian crisis.

Here’s what you can do to help… Learn more about the mayor’s plan (2).