Understanding Homelessness Podcast

Seeking Research Justice

Dr. Andres Lopez, research director for the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC), and Dr. Mira Mohsini, CCC’s senior researcher, talk about community based participato

Episode 14: Villages as Alternative Shelter

Todd Ferry from Portland State University shares the results of his study on villages as alternative shelter and the how-to guide developed from the research. A key findi

Episode 13: Invisible Homelessness Counts

People living doubled up with friends or family due to economic hardship, sometimes called invisible homelessness, is not always clear to communities or even those experi

Episode 12: Racial inequity in permanent supportive housing

Dr. Norweeta Milburn and Earl Edwards from UCLA share their recent study with co-authored with California Policy Lab colleagues Dean Obermark and Janey Roundtree: Inequit

Episode 11: Understanding student homelessness through comics

When Portland State University instructor Kacy McKinney got the idea to create a series of comics featuring PSU students with lived experiences of homelessness and housin

Episode 10: Eviction Defense: Seeking justice in an unjust system

FREE EVICTIONS SUPPORT: Tenants facing eviction can get help at (888) 585-9638 or at oregonlawcenter.org/eviction-defense-project. Becky Straus and Emily Rena-Dozier co

Episode 9: The fight for racial equity

In this episode we talk with Julia Delgado, the vice president of the Urban League of Portland, about the higher rates of homelessness for black residents, historic lack

Episode 8: Listening to those most impacted

In this episode, we talk with Jessica Mathis and Calvin from Welcome Home Coalition, a group of organizations working together to advance the idea that everyone deserves

Episode 7: Is homelessness on the rise in PDX? And other key questions

In this episode we switch it up, and Dr. Marisa Zapata is the one answering the questions about rates of homelessness, affordable housing, and how to help those living un

Episode 6: Her story is her power

In this episode, we talk with Raven Drake, manager of the Streets Roots Ambassador Program. The program builds on the talents and expertise of people on the streets to do

Update to Episodes 4 and 5

Hey podcast listeners. This is Stefanie Knowlton, editor of the Understanding Homelessness podcast, with an update from last week’s two-part episode. The conversation wit

Episode 4: Eviction Court

UPDATE: Since recording this episode, Oregon has expanded legal support to all low-income tenants facing a court eviction. For more information, contact the Oregon Law Ce

Episode 5: Violence is not a metaphor

UPDATE: Since recording this episode, Oregon has expanded legal support to all low-income tenants facing a court eviction. For more information, contact the Oregon Law Ce

Episode 2: AfroVillage Movement takes shape

Community health worker, activist and grassroots organizer LaQuida Landford talks about her roots in Belize and her lived experience of homelessness, and how both shape h

Episode 3: Affordable housing is key

The executive director of Home Forward, Michael Buonocore, talks about the history of affordable housing, why there isn’t enough to meet the need, and barriers to making

Episode 1: Beyond the headlines and soundbites

Let’s clear away some of the rhetoric about homelessness and identify the key questions that frame this discussion. Dr. Marisa Zapata, director of PSU’s Homelessness Rese