‘The Evergreen’: Oregon’s poor farms, and how history compares to today

Multnomah County's Hillside Poor Farm, circa 1898. Horse carts like this would have been used to transport goods and visitors to the facility.

Courtesy Multnomah County Archive

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Oregon once required counties to take care of their unhoused residents. The relief institutions, known as “poor farms,” provided food, medical care and even burial services for those without a home. How does that compare to today’s support for people living in poverty? We take a deep dive into the history of poor farms, and also try to understand the complex systems in place to support people experiencing homelessness in Oregon today.

Featuring:

Kami Horton, OPB Oregon Experience documentary producer
Alex Zielinski, OPB Portland city hall reporter

Listen to all episodes of The Evergreen podcast here.