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Fix Homelessness How to rebuild human lives
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August 3, 2026
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Homeless Squatters May Be to Blame for Historic Portland Building Fire

Jonathan Choe and Kevin Dahlgren
August 3, 2026
Community Impact, Homelessness, Street Report
1
 View at Jonathan Choe's X
Categories
Community Impact
Homelessness
Street Report

“This Fire Could Have Been Prevented”

Sources say the inferno that torched the Centennial Mills building in Portland’s Pearl District over the weekend may have been caused by homeless squatters.

Kevin Dahlgren and I have been reporting on the ground and talked to witnesses who watched in horror as the historic 116-year-old abandoned structure went up on flames.

Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth & Poverty
Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth and Poverty, covering homelessness issues for its Fix Homelessness initiative. Prior to joining Discovery, Choe spent several years as one of the lead reporters at KOMO-TV, consistently the top rated television station in Seattle. His in depth stories on crime and deep dive investigations into the homeless crisis led to measurable results in the community, including changes in public policy. Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy. Choe spent several years teaching classes on emerging media and entrepreneurship to under privileged youth in inner city Chicago. As an independent journalist, Choe also contributes regularly to the Mill Creek View and Lynnwood Times and has reported on exclusive stories in the past year for Daily Wire and The Postmillennial.

Kevin Dahlgren

Contributor, Fix Homelessmess Initiative
Kevin Dahlgren is a grassroots journalist documenting homelessness, addiction, and systemic failure on the West Coast. He worked in social services for over two decades and saw the dysfunction firsthand. Through firsthand reporting, photography, and on-the-ground observation, he exposes the gap between public spending and real-world outcomes. His work centers on humanizing people living on the streets while holding nonprofits, local governments, and policies accountable for results. Drawing from direct encounters rather than press releases, Dahlgren highlights lived experience, public safety, and overlooked consequences of failed interventions. His journalism challenges dominant narratives, sparks uncomfortable conversations, and advocates for practical, measurable solutions rooted in accountability, preparation, and dignity.