I’ve been visiting family in the Portland, Oregon, area for the past several days. My wife’s sisters gathered here. None of the sisters lives here, but it is fairly close to the home of the youngest one and they started their gathering in a rental home and then traveled out to the Oregon coast for a few days. I’ve been staying at my sister’s home for a couple of nights and will join Susan and her sisters at the coast today. Then, when the sisters go their separate ways next week, we’ll come back for a short visit with my sister before heading home.

Portland is a familiar place to me. My sister has lived in Portland off and on since she graduated from college. Although she has lived in several other places for periods of time, she has lived in Portland for more years than any other place. I have visited her in the city many times. During the decade that we lived in Idaho she lived in Portland and the Conference office of our Conference was located in Portland as well. We often came to Portland for church meetings and visited my sister during the trip. I’ve come to Portland with vans of youth headed for rallies and camps dozens of times.

I generally know my way around the city. A lot has changed over the decades, but the Interstates 5, 205, 405, and 84 provide access to the city and remain as landmarks along with the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Highway 26, also known as Sunset Highway is a pathway through the western suburbs heading over the coast mountains to the ocean. Unlike farther north where we live where the Cascade mountains are close to the ocean, in Oregon there is another chain of lower mountains between the Cascades and the coast.

Portland is famous for many things. It’s official nickname is “City of Roses,” and there are certainly a lot of beautiful rose gardens throughout the city. Each fall enormous murders of crows gather in the city where they spend the winter. The sight of such large groups of the black birds is truly amazing. The bridges over the Willamette are impressive feats of engineering beauty.

In recent years, Portland has received national and international attention for its homelessness crisis. From 2015 to 2023, homelessness in Portland increased by 65%. It is now estimated that there are around 6,500 people in the city who do not have homes. Short term shelters are overwhelmed and cannot keep up with the demand. 6,500 people and 2,000 shelter beds means that many go without. The city has invested billions developing affordable housing and providing social services to those living without houses, but the wait for affordable housing in the city is a years-long process.

The homeless population of Portland is spread out over a wide area throughout the county. There are hundreds of unsanctioned camps. A dozen or more locations are cleared nearly every day due to safety and environmental concerns, but the people have nowhere to go other than to form another unauthorized camp in another location. The constant moving and the dispersed nature of the camps means that consistent case management is nearly impossible and hundreds of people have little or no access to available social services for the treatment of physical and mental health needs.

As it struggles with the immense problems of homelessness, Portland remains a vibrant city with delightful neighborhoods, a rich cultural scene, a fascinating restaurant scene and so much more. It seems that each time we visit one of our nieces or nephews who live in the city we discover new and interesting places to eat.

Of course homelessness isn’t unique to Portland. It is a problem in cities around the world. The cities of the Northwest, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, all struggle with a lack of affordable housing and too many people waiting for assistance.

Seeing the numbers of homeless in the city makes me grateful that our family members who live in Portland have found secure housing. A niece and her family, a nephew and his wife, live in their own homes. Another nephew has lived in the same apartment for several years and is comfortable and safe there. My sister lives in a planned neighborhood of active seniors. Homeowners must be over the age of 55 and as far as I know there are no children living in the community. There is a shared clubhouse with a swimming pool, meeting and entertainment space. The streets are quiet. Although the neighborhood is technically gated, managers of the neighborhood are able to leave the gates open to provide easy access for visitors.

Staying for a few days in this community, I am aware that I clearly fit the demographic. When I walk my sister’s dog, the people I meet are all around my age. I suspect that some don’t know that I’m a visitor. I could easily be one of the people new to the community. As long as my sister has lived here there have always been a number of homes for sale and there seems to be a steady turnover. That may have to do with the age of the residents. I’m sure each year a number of folks here have to move in order to obtain health care and support services. A few come to the end of their lives. There is a steady stream of folks seeking to move to the neighborhood.

I love visiting my sister and I feel comfortable in her home and walking around her neighborhood, but visiting her here makes me appreciate the neighborhood where we have our home. In our neighborhood there are children playing in the yards, teens gathering in the common areas, and when I take a walk I meet people who are older and people who are younger than me. I understand and appreciate the need for senior communities for the consolidation of services and support, but I am grateful that for now I am able to live in a place with children.

As such, I know I have to finish my visit as planned. After all, I need to be home for Halloween to hand out treats to all of the children.