Eric Tars, the legal director of the National Homelessness Law Center, on U.S. homelessness and issues including network impoverishment, the racialized view of public assistance, Martin v Boise, polarization, Unhoused Bill of Rights, the criminalization of homelessness. Continue reading Unsheltered: Eric Tars On The Human Right To Housing
The idea seemed simple enough. Last year, Portland passed a law to ease the pain of renters being forced out of their homes or facing large rent hikes. Officials and housing advocates in particular were worried about those facing “no-cause” … Continue reading Portland ordinance to protect renters may be a model for other cities. But landlords are fighting back.
In towns such as Junction City, rising housing costs push families to pantries to fill monthly budget gaps by Thacher Schmid | 2 Mar 2018 Walking through the immaculate, well-organized aisles of Junction City Local Aid’s food pantry, Jeanie Burr … Continue reading In rural Oregon, trips to food banks are the new normal
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?
In June, a national study by Mental Health America ranked Oregon last in the country for overall mental health needs, access and outcomes. Also in June, a mental health center opened that could help turn that around: Adventist Health’s Emotional … Continue reading Adventist Hopes to Move the Needle on Portland’s Mental Health Crisis
Owners of a North Portland Low-Income Apartment Complex Are Kicking Out the Backyard Chickens Residents say saving the chickens is a way of preserving a sense of home, a connection to nature and a cheap, healthy food source. The effects … Continue reading Bye Bye Birdies
On July 15, Portland Mayor Charlie Hales gave an eviction notice to the largest homeless camp in the Pacific Northwest. The mayor announced that, starting Aug. 1, Portland police would sweep homeless people living along the Springwater Corridor bike trail. … Continue reading Some Homeless Campers Have Lived Along the Springwater Corridor for a Decade
This is a piece I wrote about Belize, a tiny Central American nation with a horrendously high homicide rate, for Adbusters, a graphic art-oriented, activist magazine published out of Vancouver, B.C. My own trip to Belize in 2000 was marred by a double homicide right outside my hotel room, which may or may not have been connected to my friend’s wallet being stolen that same night — after we went to the only disco on Caye Caulker. Luckily, the thief left my friend’s passport, otherwise we might still be there. Continue reading Belize (Adbusters)
Writing in the Flat Keys: Thacher Schmid's Portfolio 