In 2015, the City of Portland declared a housing emergency. Ten years later, more people in Portland are unhoused or precariously housed than ever. In this segment we talk with Sandra Comstock about how we got here and what we can do about it. Sandra Comstock (Ph.D. Sociology, Cornell U.) is Founder and Executive Director of Hygiene4All, which provides services to houseless neighbors including showers and laundry, and is on the Steering Committee of the Welcome Home Coalition, which advocates for policies that address the root causes of the housing crisis. Dr. Comstock recently released papers on The State of Our Affordability & Homelessness Crisis in Portland Metro & Oregon (Aug 2025) and The 2024 Performance of Multnomah County Housing and Sheltering Strategies (Final White Paper). She spoke with Frann Michel about the impacts of recent cuts to housing support, the problems with shifting of funds from housing to shelter strategies, and the promise of social housing. The next meeting of the City Council's Homelessness and Housing Committee is Tuesday, September 23, at 12 noon.
See also
Study Shows Criminalizing Homelessness Helps No One
The Shadow Lobby Fueling Mass Incarceration of Homeless People
How Finland Solved Homelessness
The Left's Radical Plan to Fix Housing in Paris
Image: "Abolish Rapid Response. Stop the Sweeps" written across a notice of impending campsite sweep; photo by F. Michel.
- KBOO