Opinion | Despite the fear and backlash, let’s fight for the lives of people using drugs Overdose prevention centers reduce “overdose and unwanted public use” while connecting people “with addiction services and social supports including voluntary treatme ...
25 Oct 2023 - Kaia Sand
Opinion | Jo Ann Hardesty was subjected to relentless racist and sexist attacks during her tenure on City Council The map is complete, and soon, Portland City Council candidates will announce their intentions to run. Kaia Sand is the executive director of ...
23 Aug 2023 - Kaia Sand
OPINION | County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson announces plan to begin housing homeless Multnomah County residents Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson announced a planned $14 million investment to begin housing homeless Multnomah County residents F ...
8 Feb 2023 - Kaia Sand
Opinion | Portland should build a local Project Turnkey Program The Comfort Inn sign is now wrapped in black plastic, but plenty of hotel amenities remain at River Haven, a housing program for people in early recovery run by Central City Concern. The hote ...
15 Jun 2022 - Kaia Sand
Opinion | The order lacks constructive measures. Where are people expected to go? Mayor Ted Wheeler invoked an emergency declaration to prohibit people from living along many major streets where people camp often seeking visibility as a form of safety. It ...
9 Feb 2022 - Kaia Sand
Opinion | Knowledge from the unhoused provides critical insight The Street Roots ambassadors grew animated discussing the topic of ranked-choice voting. They considered how this method of voting could motivate people to vote because they might feel like t ...
2 Feb 2022 - Kaia Sand
OPINION | Pay attention to local government responses, homelessness in 2022 I hear a sense of despair from so many of you over the humanitarian crisis of homelessness. While many community members volunteer with community organizations and through mutual ...
5 Jan 2022 - Kaia Sand
OPINION | How should Portland and Multnomah County funding be spent for what is, in fact, a diversity of needs? How could the city of Portland possibly sweep unhoused people when there’s nowhere to go? And about those places to go — where and what should ...
26 May 2021 - Kaia Sand
DIRECTOR’S DESK | Metro’s proposed ballot measure would fund homeless services through a tax on the Portland area's wealthiest residents After a month when it seemed unlikely, Metro Council is now indicating that it will refer a homeless services bal ...
7 Feb 2020 - Kaia Sand
DIRECTOR’S DESK | If there's no funding for a compassionate response to crises on the streets, then support of the plan goes nowhere We’ve heard a tremendous response to the Portland Street Response plan published in our March 15 edition. The grounds ...
29 Mar 2019 - Kaia Sand