Ecopol Project - Portland State University

 Homelessness on the Forefront of Portland Oregon Residents' Minds 

    In an insights survey released by the city of Portland Oregon it was shown that homelessness is one of the top issues Oregonians were interested in. Yet despite these concerns the homeless of Portland Oregon have had their death rate quadruple, the homeless service department receiving a 25% cut to their budget, and aggressive sweeps that displace many of the homeless from encampments and the forest. For the sake of humanizing the homeless and giving them dignity they deserve free of stereotypes, this article will refer to them as unhoused. The unhoused are at higher risk than ever in recent years. Even now President Trump has taken an anti homeless stance in Washington DC by evicting them from the capitol and threatens Oregon programs to help the unhoused through federal budget cuts. If action is not taken to aid them then it’s likely many unhoused individuals will continue to die off. Many people think that people who end up unhoused deserve it due to being mentally ill, drug addicts, or violent sociopaths, but the truth is many unhoused are tragically unfortunate people who have no other support. Teenagers kicked out of their home at age 18, women who escaped abusive relationships, or people crushed under overwhelming medical debt. The truth is anyone can become unhoused if they are unlucky and lack support to fall back on. They are not individuals that deserve to be shunned but deserve aid. 

    To help readers make informed decisions we recommend watching this short documentary by  KGW News that offers 14 unique perspectives on the unhoused crisis in Portland Oregon. The video itself glosses over many of the problems the unhoused face in favor of keeping the documentary somewhat upbeat.  Things like downplaying how unaffordable the housing in Portland is or that when former President Biden visited Oregon to give a speech about the homeless crisis he did not visit a single encampment and spent time on a yacht. Yet despite this it does showcase interesting perspectives on what some residents feel about the crisis the unhoused face. One particular segment details how apathy plays a large role in how homelessness continues to grow as a problem. It's certainly worth a watch for anyone wishing for an introduction into the issue.



If you desire change you can reach city officials through this website or by the city's non-emergency line PDX 311.

If you want more informative posts alongside the video then check out our blog.

Written by Ryan Kelly.
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