Category: Willamette Week

Willamette Week

Old Town Homeless Village Will Close After Nonprofit Operator Says Conditions Too Dangerous

Thacher Schmid

The news of the closing raises questions about a dozen existing and planned officially-sanctioned homeless villages in the region, as well as a key local services provider. By Thacher Schmid May 28, 2022 at 4:35 pm PDT in Willamette Week Old Town’s homeless village is permanently closing, Multnomah County officials say, after its services provider, All Good Northwest, decided it could not continue running the site. The director of the nonprofit, Andy Goebel, blames its decision on “daily and nightly gunfire and gun activity” in the area. The decommissioning, which officials confirmed after an inquiry from WW, also comes a … Continue reading Old Town Homeless Village Will Close After Nonprofit Operator Says Conditions Too Dangerous

Willamette Week

Hundreds of Portlanders Are Living in Their Cars. Here’s How They Do It.

Thacher Schmid

Even as the numbers keep growing, Portland and Multnomah County officials have repeatedly failed to create a program or location where people living in vehicles can legally park overnight. Continue reading Hundreds of Portlanders Are Living in Their Cars. Here’s How They Do It.

Willamette Week

Rick Turoczy Says the Myth of the Unflappable Entrepreneur Is “All Bullshit”

Thacher Schmid

The godfather of Portland startups talks about what’s special in Rose City tech—and what it must improve. To Portland startup founder Mara Zepeda, he’s the “north star of Portland’s entrepreneurship scene”—or just “Yoda.” To Wieden + Kennedy managing director Renny Gleeson, he’s … Continue reading Rick Turoczy Says the Myth of the Unflappable Entrepreneur Is “All Bullshit”

Willamette Week

As City Officials Tow RVs Off the Portland Streets, People Priced Out of Apartments Wonder Where to Go Now

Thacher Schmid

The Strip is gone… The “Strip,” a stretch of North Lombard Street in St. Johns where approximately 20 homeless people lived in a dozen RVs, is gone. In July, WW explored the location, a favorite dumping ground for abandoning RVs … Continue reading As City Officials Tow RVs Off the Portland Streets, People Priced Out of Apartments Wonder Where to Go Now

Willamette Week

If Portland’s a Sanctuary City, Where Are All the Homeless Latino People?

Thacher Schmid

Their struggles may be more hidden. Here’s why. Deportations, sanctuary and a possible end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or “Dreamer,” program are the big issues facing undocumented immigrants in the United States. But people in Portland’s Latino … Continue reading If Portland’s a Sanctuary City, Where Are All the Homeless Latino People?

Willamette Week

Nitin Rai Created an Investment Fund to Assist Portland Startups Led by Women and Minorities. It’s Working.

Thacher Schmid

Here are seven of the Portland companies Elevate Inclusive Fund helped launch—from makeup for people with “nuanced” skin tones to a salad bar with a difference. When Portland financier Nitin Rai established the Elevate Inclusive Fund in 2016 to invest … Continue reading Nitin Rai Created an Investment Fund to Assist Portland Startups Led by Women and Minorities. It’s Working.