Just as Coronavirus shutdowns grew the ranks of people in need of government services and assistance, the organizations charged with dispersing help were themselves struggling to grapple with a new world. Resources once spread across the city were now centralized downtown, swelling the unhoused population in the city center. Social distancing restrictions meant already limited shelter space was suddenly a fraction of its pre-COVID size. Ultimately, intense fears of a massive outbreak in the unhoused community never materialized.
March 25: 8 new cases. People maintain social distance while they eat their to-go lunch outside Blanchet House, a social services organization providing food, clothing, and housing services to people in need.
April 15: 10 new cases. Max McEntire and fiancé Deanna Handley pass by boarded up store fronts in downtown Portland.
March 22: 1 new case. A camp site along a freeway in Northeast Portland.
As Oregonians Socially Distance, The Unhoused Community Comes Together
As Portland residents have sheltered in place, there have been fewer extra resources available for the city’s unhoused community. But the crisis is also bringing the unhoused community together.
March 27: 22 new cases. The East Portland Community Center gym is set up with 75 evenly spaced cots in order to accommodate residents in the Multnomah County shelter system.
March 22: 1 new case. A piece of cardboard from a box used to hold first aid and medical supplies lies on the ground near a camp site in Northeast Portland.
April 17: 19 new cases. Mercedes Moreno, right, enjoys a free lunch that is distributed to people who need it in Southeast Portland's Sunnyside Park.
For People Living Outside, Coronavirus Shutdowns Can Exacerbate Mental Health Concerns
Fears of getting sick, of losing a job, of being isolated at home are all factors that can increase anxiety or depression for the housed and unhoused alike.
April 3: 15 new cases. Graffitti calling for an April rent strike on a wall in Northeast Portland.
April 16: 18 new cases. Max McEntire and his new wife Deanna Handley get married among a small group of socially distanced friends at Street Roots, an independent newspaper covering social justice issues.
March 28: 14 new cases. Mike Dusek, an unhoused person living in Portland, distributes hygiene supplies to other members of the unhoused community.
April 2: 26 new cases. Donated soap sits in boxes waiting to be distributed to people living outside.
April 15: 10 new cases. Max McEntire reads a flyer about a new outdoor distancing shelter the city was opening soon.
March 25: 4 new cases. Street Roots vendors wait in line to receive their paychecks.
Police Sweeps Raise Concerns As Portland Readies To Resume Homeless Cleanups
Portland police conducted a number of homeless camp cleanups in Old Town and Chinatown on Thursday and as Multnomah County starts eyeing reopening downtown business.
April 16: 18 new cases. Chris Drake, center, checks in to the LGBTQ outdoor emergency shelter in Southeast Portland. Drake is autistic and says the coronavirus has disrupted his daily routines and worsened his mental health.
March 25: 8 new cases. A line of people waits for to-go food outside Blanchet House, a social services organization providing food, clothing, and housing services to people in need.
April 17: 19 new cases. Dr. Bill Toepper, a retired emergency room doctor and the medical director at Portland Street Medicine, checks the vitals on an unhoused man who goes by Pops.