Did this episode get you thinking, or did we miss the mark? Let us know by leaving us a message on SpeakPipe.

Jake and Chris dig a bit deeper on the topic of homelessness and unhoused neighbours. Are the stereotypes society holds about citizens who are unhoused accurate? Or maybe, anyone of us could find ourselves unhoused depending on life events.

To explore this question, Andy Reed joins the podcast to share his story of finding himself ‘homeless’.Andy Reed is the International Trade and Incentives Program Manager with Prosper Portland and an adjunct Instructor with the Portland State University, where he has taught 65+ courses since 2002.

Who are the ‘displaced’ or unhoused? Could it happen to you? We think you’ll be surprised and shocked to hear Andy’s story.

For more information:
https://www.rw.institute/

Follow Disorienting Dilemma on Twitter:
@podcastdilemma

Resources/materials:

Portland has a Homelessness Crisis: “An estimated 5,228 people are experiencing homelessness in Portland, according to Multnomah County's 2022 Point-in-Time Count of Homelessness. With only approximately 1,365 shelter beds available you see many people living in tents, vehicles, and on sidewalks across the city.”

Homelessness in the Portland Region: “Portland’s second crisis is worse than that in most other places, and it has two causes: an under-supplied regional housing market and an unresponsive, discretionary rental assistance program. The two crises require different strategies and tactics.”

Liberal US cities including Portland change course, now clearing homeless camps: “The mayor of Portland, Oregon, recently banned camping on the sides of certain roadways, and officials are exploring other aggressive options to combat homelessness.”

History of Racist Planning in Portland: How historical racist land use planning contributed to racial segregation and inequity for people of colour in Portland.

The Pain of Social Rejection: As far as the brain is concerned, a broken heart may not be so different from a broken arm. “As researchers have dug deeper into the roots of rejection, they’ve found surprising evidence that the pain of being excluded is not so different from the pain of physical injury. Rejection also has serious implications for an individual’s psychological state and for society in general. Social rejection can influence emotion, cognition and even physical health. Ostracized people sometimes become aggressive and can turn to violence.”

Social Pain and Physical Pain: In this video, we can see the MRI results of social rejection and physical pain on the human brain (the way it reacts) which are found to be very similar.

TED TALKS: The Issue of Homelessness: A basic primer on some of the hows and whys, solutions and struggles surrounding the conversation on homelessness.