For Those Who Are Homeless, Access to Storage Can be a Matter of Life or Death.

 

 

City Storage Day Program by: Central City Concern. Portland OR 

 

Imagine if all you had in the world you had to carry with you? Not only that, imagine day and night, you couldn’t  have those belongings safely out of your sight or away from your body at risk of them getting taken? Everywhere you go, whether outdoors, indoors, or on public transportation they are with you. Some of these items, especially bags or sleeping bags, may be cumbersome or dirty from dragging them around the city. It’s hard to be discreet, or not in the way and if you have important errands to run, the stress compounds as people may treat you as a nuisance or unwelcome. Any important documents, mementos or lifelines like a cellphone and components are especially at risk of theft or damage by the elements. If you hide your belongings or leave them out in the city, whether a tent, a suitcase or basket to store more things and keep weight off your back, anything really, they could be “swept” away by the city. The same goes for a bike or wagon or trailer. Although items are kept for 30 days, there is only a 4% retrieval rate (Harrop, K, et al., 2024).

My shoulders hurt just thinking of it! I don’t even like the weight of bringing a reusable water bottle or a lunch bag with me to work every day. When hiking or backpacking, people learn that even ounces make a difference, and there is a whole industry around light, travel friendly gear, that is often pricey. Some of us know the feeling of traveling to and from an airport, but killing time on the way in a business, perhaps a gift shop or bookstore, how hard it is to browse with the weight of our packs and suitcases. Many people might make it a shorter trip if there wasn’t a bag check! You get the picture.

If you are homeless in Portland, OR, there are a few options to store one’s belongings. Ground Score run by the Homeless Services Dept, offers storage from 8am-4:30 pm, with coffee served from 8-9:30 am, and free snacks and healthy drinks available while open. Their max storage is 3 plastic bins, with some large item storage depending on availability.  Another option is the City Storage Day Program operated by Central City Concern. They are open 7 days a week, 7am-7:45 pm. Their storage limit is a 30-gallon drum with a closed lid. Weapons, food and liquids are prohibited. Their storage limit is 30 days.

It’s a start, but with homeless numbers being what they are (about 12,000 individuals at last count), there is a need (University Communications, 2025). Since the increase in sweeps, there has been a fourfold increase in deaths among the homeless population (Rambo, 2025). With the loss of critical belongings and their not so easy replacement, access to storage for the homeless can be a matter of life and death.

References:

Harrop, K., Chakrabarti, M. & Skoog, T. (2024, December 12). Inside America’s homeless sweeps. Wbur. https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2024/12/12/homeless-encampment-sweeps-portland-propublica

Hayden, J. (2025, August 20). Portland’s top leader escalates homeless sweeps amid federal crackdown. Street Roots. https://www.streetroots.org/news-stories/2025/08/20/portland-top-local-federal-leaders-escalate-homeless-sweeps-public-spaces/

Rambo, K. (2025). Portland said it was investing in homeless people’s safety. Deaths have skyrocketed. Street Roots. https://www.streetroots.org/news-stories/2025/06/11/portland-homeless-deaths-multnomah-county/

University Communications (2025). PSU  homelessness research and action collaborative releases the 2025 point in time count. Portland State University. https://www.pdx.edu/news/psu-homelessness-research-and-action-collaborative-releases-2025-tri-county-point-time-count