The Village Alternative: Andrew Heben and Tim McCormick Have a Democratic Solution to Houselessness

December 15, 2020 Thacher Schmid

By Thacher Schmid In recent years, American homelessness has been on the rise again. In 2015, West Coast cities declared homeless “emergencies.” Since 2017, “Point in Time” counts have risen; some measures see unhoused populations at all-time highs. Now, due to Covid-19, the numbers could … Continue reading The Village Alternative: Andrew Heben and Tim McCormick Have a Democratic Solution to Houselessness

Narratively

An American Tragedy: The Colorful Life and Shocking Death of Ovid Neal III

July 27, 2020December 23, 2020 Thacher Schmid

On the dark streets of a college town, two teenagers hoisted a rock and ended a man’s life. His loved ones want to know when we’ll finally value the lives of homeless people. Continue reading An American Tragedy: The Colorful Life and Shocking Death of Ovid Neal III

Al Jazeera

Inside the US’s coronavirus convention-centre homeless shelters

May 3, 2020May 3, 2020 Thacher Schmid

The centres were converted into shelters to help stem COVID-19’s spread, but experts worry they may pose more of a risk. by Thacher Schmid Portland, Oregon – Outside the Oregon Convention Center (OCC) in downtown Portland, Oregon, sits a mobile shower … Continue reading Inside the US’s coronavirus convention-centre homeless shelters

Los Angeles Times

In Portland, a neighborhood watch group stirs debate over how to respond to the homeless

January 7, 2019April 10, 2019 Thacher Schmid

The Montavilla neighborhood is a place just about anybody might want to live in. It has an “almost suburban” feel, a city website notes, but it’s near downtown Portland, with a population that’s more diverse than the city as a … Continue reading In Portland, a neighborhood watch group stirs debate over how to respond to the homeless

Guardian

No link between homeless villages and crime rates, Guardian review suggests

May 29, 2018July 27, 2020 Thacher Schmid

Guardian study of two US cities finds crime is likelier to go down than up in neighborhoods that host city-sanctioned encampments They stood in a rainy parking lot under fir trees, 60 homeless men and women, young and old, patient … Continue reading No link between homeless villages and crime rates, Guardian review suggests

Portland Mercury

As Winter Approaches, the Homeless Are Using Dangerous Methods to Keep Warm

December 6, 2017January 30, 2018 Thacher Schmid

It’s a Costly Side Effect of Portland’s Housing Crisis THE HAND SANITIZER-FUELED Bunsen burner was a form of streetwise ingenuity to make MacGyver proud—but it may have cost a life. When the body of Rachael Edwards was found in Oregon … Continue reading As Winter Approaches, the Homeless Are Using Dangerous Methods to Keep Warm

Willamette Week

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

October 23, 2017 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

Lund Report

Homelessness Compounds Health Challenges for Transgender Portlanders

October 13, 2017October 13, 2017 Thacher Schmid

A lack of data has led to funding cuts for some programs that otherwise might support these individuals, while others — such as OHSU — seek to boost their offerings In her 31 years, Willow Paloma has had many identities: … Continue reading Homelessness Compounds Health Challenges for Transgender Portlanders

Guardian

‘Straight up bullshit’: inmates paid $1 to clear homeless camps they once lived in

August 11, 2017March 20, 2018 Thacher Schmid

In Portland, which prides itself on being a beacon of progressive politics, the practice of using prisoner work crews is painted as a win-win – but that’s not how some see it In many places in the US, the fraught … Continue reading ‘Straight up bullshit’: inmates paid $1 to clear homeless camps they once lived in

Willamette Week

Is There an Ethnic Group More Likely to Be Homeless in Portland Than Others?

August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 Thacher Schmid

Timothy Allen Ferrell is the kind of person officials and advocates argue about. Despite a lifelong history of trauma—born with drugs in his system to a 15-year-old mom, then foster care, heroin and meth use, and drug-related criminal convictions—Ferrell insists … Continue reading Is There an Ethnic Group More Likely to Be Homeless in Portland Than Others?

Willamette Week

Portland is Towing Caravans of RVs Off the Streets. Here’s What It’s Like Inside Those Motor Homes.

July 26, 2017April 8, 2018 Thacher Schmid

This city has never before seen so many recreational vehicles parked on its streets. There is a stretch of North Lombard Street called the Strip: a line of 12 RVs parked snout to bumper on the west side of the … Continue reading Portland is Towing Caravans of RVs Off the Streets. Here’s What It’s Like Inside Those Motor Homes.

Willamette Week

Why Do Homeless People Ride the MAX Green Line All Day?

July 16, 2017July 16, 2017 Thacher Schmid

Homeless people say they must choose between a ticket to ride and eating. So why is the train so crucial? For most Portlanders, high temperatures inspire cold drinks, or a jump in a river. For Nathan Lewallea, who has epilepsy, … Continue reading Why Do Homeless People Ride the MAX Green Line All Day?

Willamette Week

Why Are So Many of the People Sleeping on Downtown Streets So Damaged?

July 16, 2017July 26, 2017 Thacher Schmid

One of the faith leaders who has worked closely with the most vulnerable people on the streets has a theory. The paradox jumps out from the latest homelessness numbers released by Multnomah County: The number of people sleeping on the … Continue reading Why Are So Many of the People Sleeping on Downtown Streets So Damaged?

Willamette Week

Why Am I Seeing So Many Homeless People With Dogs?

June 29, 2017June 29, 2017 Thacher Schmid

The animals provide emotional support and four-legged security for people on the streets. You’re not paranoid: The number of Portland dogs with homeless owners is growing rapidly. Local animal hospital Dove Lewis says the number of homeless people getting veterinary … Continue reading Why Am I Seeing So Many Homeless People With Dogs?

Willamette Week

Why Don’t Homeless People Just Get Jobs?

June 23, 2017June 21, 2017 Thacher Schmid

Many already have jobs—not easy ones, either. The refrain of “Get a job!” is as old as poverty and panhandling. But one of the hard truths of homelessness is that many people who qualify as homeless work hard and still … Continue reading Why Don’t Homeless People Just Get Jobs?

Writing in the Flat Keys: Thacher Schmid's Portfolio

Published writing, recordings of Thacher Schmid

Tag: homeless

The Village Alternative: Andrew Heben and Tim McCormick Have a Democratic Solution to Houselessness

An American Tragedy: The Colorful Life and Shocking Death of Ovid Neal III

Inside the US’s coronavirus convention-centre homeless shelters

In Portland, a neighborhood watch group stirs debate over how to respond to the homeless

No link between homeless villages and crime rates, Guardian review suggests

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

Homelessness Compounds Health Challenges for Transgender Portlanders

‘Straight up bullshit’: inmates paid $1 to clear homeless camps they once lived in

Is There an Ethnic Group More Likely to Be Homeless in Portland Than Others?

Portland is Towing Caravans of RVs Off the Streets. Here’s What It’s Like Inside Those Motor Homes.

Why Do Homeless People Ride the MAX Green Line All Day?

Why Are So Many of the People Sleeping on Downtown Streets So Damaged?

Why Am I Seeing So Many Homeless People With Dogs?

Why Don’t Homeless People Just Get Jobs?