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Nancy in PDX's avatar

Cleanup as Opportunity for Portland’s Unsheltered —one idea

Portland’s struggles with homelessness and livability are well known, but I believe we’re overlooking a simple, practical solution: paid cleanup work for our unsheltered neighbors.

Cities like Denver and Albuquerque have already shown how this works—hiring people living outside to pick up trash, remove graffiti, and maintain parks, with same-day pay and no heavy barriers. The results speak for themselves: cleaner streets, safer neighborhoods, and participants gaining income, purpose, and a step toward stability.

Here in Portland, Street Roots has long proven that low-barrier work can restore dignity and pride. Why not expand that model into cleanup teams that directly improve our neighborhoods? Instead of seeing unsheltered residents only as part of the problem, we could empower them to be part of the solution.

It’s time to give Portland a win-win: cleaner public spaces and real opportunities for those who need them most.

Sincerely,

Pearl District Resident

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