DIRECTOR’S DESK | As the city explores how to pilot Portland Street Response, it’s reaching out to unhoused residents A snoring dog lay at the feet of Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty as she leaned back against a table, nodding. A woman described how when she ...
12 Jul 2019 - Kaia Sand
In line with Street Roots' campaign, Wheeler earmarks $500,000 in contingency funds for an alternative first response to crises on the streets Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler recommended $500,000 for Portland Street Response in his proposed city budget re ...
1 May 2019 - SR editorial board
DIRECTOR’S DESK | While Portland Police Response addresses problems upstream, we're also tackling the barriers downstream I intend to write about hope, but to do that, I’ll start with some bleak moments. Bear with me. Kaia Sand is the executive di ...
26 Apr 2019 - Kaia Sand
Commonly accepted practices are preventing good renters from getting into housing in Portland Across our city, too many people are homeless or unstably housed. What we don’t need are insurmountable barriers to housing that target people of color and those ...
19 Apr 2019 - SR editorial board
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
A better response to people on Portland's streets might be the linchpin to creating the space for more effective policing Without the political will to comprehensively address Portland’s houseless crisis, the Portland Police Bureau will continue to s ...
22 Mar 2019 - SR editorial board
Not every crisis is a crime Endorse our plan for a new system of first responders – teams of firefighter-EMTs and peer support specialists with training in de-escalation who can respond with compassion to 911 calls about people struggling with homelessne ...
22 Mar 2019 - Street Roots
DIRECTOR’S DESK | Learning from Eugene's CAHOOTS program, Portland must make it clear that a non-police response is available Just under three hours south by train and I was in Eugene, there to witness their mobile crisis support program, CAHOOTS. I ...
15 Mar 2019 - Kaia Sand