Thank you Kaia for your years of providing the voice our city leaders needed to hear about "your people." We are glad you will continue that in your writing, for us all to benefit from.
Kaia, you have been such an important and powerful voice during such a difficult time. I’m encouraged that you will continue to help us understand and advocate and be active toward a more just society.
Street Roots is what it is because of your hard work. You are appreciated more than you can imagine. Keep following your dreams and may they all come true. Cheers for 2025!
Portland Street Response has turned into something of an exercise in enabling street camping. Instead of providing meaningful help, they often pass out tents, tarps, granola bars, and cigarettes, essentially encouraging people to set up camp rather than offering long-term solutions. They’re just moving people along, with no real authority to address the root causes of the crisis, like mental health or addiction, especially when individuals are a danger to themselves or others. Unlike Project Respond, they can't even commit those who need intervention. So, instead of solving anything, they’re just making the problem more visible and persistent, with no real action behind it.
Street Roots has unfortunately become yet another grifting Portland nonprofit. Taking OVER $1 million in public funds to remodel their office that were to be used to reduce global warming (from the PCEF slush fund). What a joke.
Hi Javier. The PCEF funds went toward turning a century-old Portland building into one run on renewable energy (solar panels and battery) that also can keep running in extreme weather with cleaner air, particularly in forest fires. People on the streets are on the front lines of this extreme weather: https://www.streetroots.org/news/2022/08/03/kaia-sand-climate
Hi Kaia, thanks for chiming in. I get that you’re trying to frame the renovation as a forward-thinking, climate-friendly upgrade for the building, especially with the renewable energy and resilience features. But let’s not forget that PCEF was meant to fund projects that specifically benefit underrepresented communities and reduce the impacts of climate change at the ground level. I think it's fair to question whether such a large chunk of public money going toward a nonprofit’s office makeover is the best way to achieve those goals.
While it's true that people experiencing homelessness face extreme weather events, it’s worth considering whether this type of project truly addresses the systemic issues those folks are dealing with—like addiction treatment, economic opportunity, job training and offering shelter, (followed by enforcement of our no camping laws). Perhaps there are other ways to better allocate these funds to actually support the most vulnerable, rather than improving the comfort and climate-resilience of an office building. Just some food for thought.
Hi Javier -- This building was designed to do just that. Job training and other classes on the top floor, day shelter and work training on the first floor, showers and laundry in the basement.
I get that this building is trying to do a lot—but the real question is whether these efforts are actually making a difference in our community. From what I've seen in Portland the last few years, it's not.
Most struglling residents would rather pay 1% less at places like Winco, Home Depot, and Fred Meyer than see their money go toward PCEF programs that don’t seem to deliver tangible results. It’s not about rejecting good intentions; it’s about priorities. People want to see real outcomes—better jobs, affordable housing, safer streets—not more programs that sound good on paper but don’t address the core issues.
The goals are admirable, but the execution feels out of step with the day-to-day struggles of working-class families.
I have been saying for about 2 years that SR has become a "corporation" but since I'm JUST a vendor, no one hears it. Please, email me @ oj.2011.10.01@proton.me or oj.2011.10.01@gmail.com
Thank you Kaia for your years of providing the voice our city leaders needed to hear about "your people." We are glad you will continue that in your writing, for us all to benefit from.
Kaia, you have been such an important and powerful voice during such a difficult time. I’m encouraged that you will continue to help us understand and advocate and be active toward a more just society.
Street Roots is what it is because of your hard work. You are appreciated more than you can imagine. Keep following your dreams and may they all come true. Cheers for 2025!
Thank you so much Janet 🩷
Kaia,
Portland Street Response has turned into something of an exercise in enabling street camping. Instead of providing meaningful help, they often pass out tents, tarps, granola bars, and cigarettes, essentially encouraging people to set up camp rather than offering long-term solutions. They’re just moving people along, with no real authority to address the root causes of the crisis, like mental health or addiction, especially when individuals are a danger to themselves or others. Unlike Project Respond, they can't even commit those who need intervention. So, instead of solving anything, they’re just making the problem more visible and persistent, with no real action behind it.
Street Roots has unfortunately become yet another grifting Portland nonprofit. Taking OVER $1 million in public funds to remodel their office that were to be used to reduce global warming (from the PCEF slush fund). What a joke.
Hi Javier. The PCEF funds went toward turning a century-old Portland building into one run on renewable energy (solar panels and battery) that also can keep running in extreme weather with cleaner air, particularly in forest fires. People on the streets are on the front lines of this extreme weather: https://www.streetroots.org/news/2022/08/03/kaia-sand-climate
Hi Kaia, thanks for chiming in. I get that you’re trying to frame the renovation as a forward-thinking, climate-friendly upgrade for the building, especially with the renewable energy and resilience features. But let’s not forget that PCEF was meant to fund projects that specifically benefit underrepresented communities and reduce the impacts of climate change at the ground level. I think it's fair to question whether such a large chunk of public money going toward a nonprofit’s office makeover is the best way to achieve those goals.
While it's true that people experiencing homelessness face extreme weather events, it’s worth considering whether this type of project truly addresses the systemic issues those folks are dealing with—like addiction treatment, economic opportunity, job training and offering shelter, (followed by enforcement of our no camping laws). Perhaps there are other ways to better allocate these funds to actually support the most vulnerable, rather than improving the comfort and climate-resilience of an office building. Just some food for thought.
Hi Javier -- This building was designed to do just that. Job training and other classes on the top floor, day shelter and work training on the first floor, showers and laundry in the basement.
I get that this building is trying to do a lot—but the real question is whether these efforts are actually making a difference in our community. From what I've seen in Portland the last few years, it's not.
Most struglling residents would rather pay 1% less at places like Winco, Home Depot, and Fred Meyer than see their money go toward PCEF programs that don’t seem to deliver tangible results. It’s not about rejecting good intentions; it’s about priorities. People want to see real outcomes—better jobs, affordable housing, safer streets—not more programs that sound good on paper but don’t address the core issues.
The goals are admirable, but the execution feels out of step with the day-to-day struggles of working-class families.
I have been saying for about 2 years that SR has become a "corporation" but since I'm JUST a vendor, no one hears it. Please, email me @ oj.2011.10.01@proton.me or oj.2011.10.01@gmail.com
Thank you so much! If there are topics you hope to see explored please let me know