In the most recent count of the homeless community in Multnomah County, Oregon, 1,355 adult women were identified as homeless, making up 36 per cent of the total homeless population, a 16 per cent rise from the previous survey. Street Roots spoke to five of its vendors about what women living on the streets experience.

This year we asked vendors: if you could give a song as a present this Christmas, what would you choose? The result was the INSP Vendor Playlist, which is now available for your listening pleasure. Street Roots vendors in Portland, Oregon, run through their choices.

Street Roots vendor Gail talks about her upbringing in New York, moving to Portland with her daughter and using selling the street paper to combat social isolation.

This week, the 2018 INSP Global Street Paper Summit has been held in Glasgow, giving street paper staff from countries throughout the network the opportunity to discuss the issues affecting their vendors in our modern world. According to recent news reports in the US state of Portland, 52 per cent of all arrests last year in the Portland area were made against people on the streets, and 86 per cent of those were for non-violent violations. The city’s street paper, Street Roots, surveyed its vendor about their first-hand experience with law enforcement.

Tina first arrived in Portland two and a half years ago and she now sells Street Roots from her pitch outside Target in Downtown Portland. Here, she reflects on her childhood struggle to reconcile her outer gender with her inner self, how welcoming Portland has been for her as a trans woman and the rich feeling of hope that her mother endowed her with.

As 2017 draws to a close, we asked vendors across the global street paper network to look back on the highs and lows of their year. Today, Paulette, a Street Roots vendor in Portland, explains that, despite getting on a bit, she is still full of a lust for life.

After 15 years at Portland street paper Street Roots, Israel Bayer has stepped down from his position as director. Speaking to INSP, he reflects on his time there, what it has been like working as part of the global street paper network, and what’s next for him and the organisation.

Loretta H. talks to Street Roots about her journey to becoming a Street Roots vendor and the ways in which selling the magazine is giving her hope for the future.

Wally and Chauncey are a Street Roots selling, comedy double act. But it hasn’t always been a laugh. Here, they tell the story of how they met.

When Norm lost his job and his home, it was thanks to the kindness of a stranger he ended up in housing once again. Now he sells Street Roots, accompanied by his dog Heidi. He says being a vendor is an adventure – and good for his mental health.

Eileen and Mike both sell Street Roots in Portland, USA. They join our vendor wishes series, both calling on the government to tackle affordable housing.

“I stay positive by recognising the negatives first,” says Street Roots vendor Janick. “Get those out of the way, and figure out how to change the things you can change.”

Street Roots’ inspiring Vendor Program Director, Cole Merkel, has been awarded the 2016 Skidmore Prize for his tireless work to support the Portland paper’s 150 vendors.