If you've ever been to downtown Portland, it is immediately evident that homelessness is a huge problem, even reaching the point of being considered a public crisis by the Oregonlive.

Today, the Portland Housing Bureau estimates that approximately 4,000 people are houseless on any given night within the city, and given the rising cost of housing, it is unlikely that this number will decrease anytime soon. This issue is not just specific to the Portland area; conservative estimates state that there are over 600,000 houseless people in the United States today. More recent accounts report that this number may actually be closer to 1.6 million people.

There is a whole complex web of social, economic and political issues that have developed toward this current situation. It is important to note that widespread homelessness has not always been a major issue in the United States. Instead, many economists cite that the recession of 2008 was a huge trigger for the homeless in addition to a decrease in public services, particularly those available for the mentally ill. While it's easy to become overwhelmed by this problem, it should not continue to be ignored.

Overall, there is an ever-increasing houseless population of men, women and children who deserve the attention of both the general public and the elected officials. But effective solutions for this problem seem to be far and few between. In Honolulu, a unique homeless predicament exists in which many other states will “ship” their homeless population to Hawai’i because of its easily livable climate. This is a truly despicable solution that will no way solve any of the root causes for houselessness.

Instead, I want to highlight a Portland-based organization that models a progressive and humane solution for the houseless population. "Sisters of the Road" is a food justice cafe located in downtown Portland, that offers dignified meals for homeless people. Patrons can choose to either work for their meal or pay $1.50 and they can stay in the cafe for as long as it is open.

In many soup kitchens, houseless people are rushed along, told only to spend 10 minutes or otherwise treated as less than human. This cafe, in contrast, emphasizes safe and respectful interactions and strives to create a welcoming space for those who are typically disregarded by society. In addition, they are strong advocates for public policy change and host a number of community events for vulnerable populations of houseless people including women, children and the mentally ill. This a great organization run by dedicated volunteers and I encourage anyone who is interested to get involved!

I just want to remind my readers that food is a basic human right, not a privilege. We should all do our best to ensure that unfortunate people are treated humanely and respectfully. With increased restrictions on food stamps and public assistance, even for houseless children, there is a great need for organizations like Sisters of the Road.

Here’s a link to their website, if you would like more information: http://sistersoftheroad.org/.