Understanding Homelessness Podcast
You are here for answers, and so are we. This podcast illuminates the underlying causes of homelessness, explains systems that perpetuate it, explores innovative solutions, and shares stories from those with lived experiences. Dr. Marisa Zapata, director of PSU’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative, talks with experts, including those with lived experience, on how to better understand and address homelessness in Portland and beyond.
Episodes
16 episodes
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 participatory action researc...
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Episode 15
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58:41
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 finding in the Village Resea...
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Episode 14
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56:48
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 experiencing it due to stigma and lack of resources. The Chicago Coalition for t...
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Episode 13
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52:59
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:
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Episode 12
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45:21
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 housing insecurity, her goal was to change the narrative around homelessness. Th...
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Episode 11
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45:52
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
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Episode 10
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39:52
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 of access to housing and services and how that inspired the Urban League a...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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35:17
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 a place to call home. Mathis is the regional organizer and Calvin is an ad...
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Episode 8
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36:13
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 unsheltered. Community leader and housing advocate Shannon Singleton gets to...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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20:07
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 public health outreach, surveys, and training while also helping particip...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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37:49
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 with Don’t Evict PDX was recorded in early summer, and there have been some a...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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1:25
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 Center at (888)-585-9638 or
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Episode 5
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23:00
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 Center at (888)-585-9638 or
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Episode 4
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30:51
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 ...
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Episode 3
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24:16
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 her vision for the AfroVillage Movement. She has worked for several Portlan...
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Episode 2
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32:52