Street Roots is an amazing newspaper as far as content and quality, because the staff bust their butts with a tiny budget to do great research and tackle hard, topical issues around homelessness and housing. They do far better with less than the mainstream papers in Portland as far as in-depth coverage of issues important to me. Also, they are great advocates, actually jumping into different issues around homelessness in Portland, putting pressure where pressure is needed. As an affordable housing professional, they are valuable to me because they keep the important issues on the political table, and are a source of important information to our community. They are also great with the vendors - the people experiencing poverty and homelessness - offering them gainful employment, community, dignity, and genuine care and respect. I don't have a lot of money but when I do I like to share it with Street Roots.
The homeless need a voice, and Street Roots provides it. Its pages are filled with articles not only for, but by, the street community. In offering this voice, it not only is a newspaper--it is a community. Too many forces are aligned to marginalize those already on the margins. Street Roots provides the advocacy to counteract that. It is principled and operates on a shoestring. All who care about the homeless should give it their support.