Why village shelters are working

Smaller Percent of Graduates Going to College

The percentage of Oregon’s high school graduates going on to college, community college, or trade school has fallen 10 percentage points over the last decade — to 56%, according to the most recent data. During the pandemic, college enrollment declined everywhere, but Oregon’s has declined more than most. [Oregonian 🔒]

• One possible reason: Oregon has the highest in-state tuition and fees for public universities among 15 westernmost states and the second-highest community college costs.
• Goal versus reality: In 2011 the state said it wanted 80% of young adult Oregonians to have a four-year degree or a certificate by 2025. But 13 years after that goal was set, only 55% of adult Oregonians age 34 or younger have one.

Sheltering People at Motels and Villages Is Working

Motels and village shelters were more effective than mass shelters at getting people into permanent housing, according to a new study by Portland State University. Those setups offer private living quarters and are generally smaller with more support. But they’re also more expensive to operate. [KGW]

• Related: Inside a Portland micro-village. [City Cast Portland 🎧]
• Related: What’s working (and not) in Portland’s shelter programs. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

ER Overcrowding at OHSU

Overcrowding in Oregon Health and Science University’s emergency room has led to financial losses for the state’s leading academic hospital. In the last five years, the percentage of patients admitted to the hospital from the emergency room has climbed, while the number of patients in the hospital for specialty surgeries (which are profitable) has fallen. OHSU is planning to expand its hospital beds, but it’s not clear whether they’ll succeed in addressing the problem in the short term. [OPB]

The Trash Problem in Rivers

On the midweek roundup, a recent report on the health of the Willamette River and our local coastal waters found an increasing problem with trash. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

I recently spent the weekend in a good pizza town (other than Portland) and, at a few different places, I noticed something strange: As I paid with a credit card for my slices, there was no prompt to tip (or to select the “no tip” option — aka to be a jerk).

This is a bit of a gripe, Portland: I can’t remember the last time I paid for even takeout where a tip/no-tip option wasn’t there.

Who doesn’t want to be generous? But sometimes it can feel like a guilt trip.

In the last few days, friends complained about being prompted for a “tip/no tip” option at some unexpected places. Burgerville was one example. One person I know griped that the question becomes: How slowly do you want your food? (There you’re prompted to choose between 15%, 20%, or no tip.)

I wouldn't begrudge a Burgerville worker a tip. Capitalism is bleak, and what fast-food worker couldn't use an extra few dollars? But also it feels notable that an interaction like paying for food involves a hard-sell.

Tipflation is a thing. (A story from 2022 mentions a request for tips at Mama & Hapa’s, a zero-waste store in Portland.) And as inflation has driven prices higher, the percentage we’re being asked to tip seems to be going up, too.

Oregon, as a whole, is somewhat middle of the pack, with an average tip at restaurants of 19.2% — according to the sales processing company Toast.

It often seems like the minimum tip option at your local coffee shop is a dollar (even when you’re spending less than $5), the brewery’s default option is set to 25%, and in many places, 15% is no longer an option.

As always: I’m interested in your views if you’re up for sharing: Where do you like the tip policy? Where has it bugged you? And why?

There’s How Much Trash in the Willamette? Plus, More on Camping Bans and Hot Dogs

On the mid-week roundup, a recent report on the health of the Willamette River (and our local coastal waters) found a trash problem. And there are some updates, including Commissioner Rene Gonzalez’s backtracking on Mayor Ted Wheeler’s camping ban proposal and redemption for a maligned executive producer. City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza and producer Giulia Fiaoni discuss.