PORTLAND — Portland has few homeless shelters designed to serve families with children.
The Human Solutions Family Center, which opened in 2016, is the largest, with cots for 130 people. To understand why the family center is a big deal, it helps to meet Michael Bunch.
He’s 4 and carries around a black plastic bag filled with his favorite toys: Play-Doh and Ninja Turtle Legos.
When OPB met him, he was struggling to learn an important new word on what was moving day for his family.
His mom, Andrea Bunch, prodded him: “We’re going where?”
“To a hotel,” Michael said.
“Nope.”
Michael tried again: “Motel!”
Still not right. So Andrea gave him a hint. “To our new .”
He frowned and exhaled in frustration, so his mom provided the correct answer: “Apartment.”
Michael struggled to get that word out because he’s never had a home of his own. He and Andrea have been staying with friends, in motels or at shelters, moving from place to place his entire life.