Cold or Crowded?

On cold winter nights, people on the streets often have to choose between battling the freezing temperatures outside, or battling for beds in a crowded warehouse shelter. David Pirtle, a man who became homeless because of his untreated and undiagnosed schizophrenia, was invited to an NPR radio special in 2012 that explored the question: why do some homeless people refuse shelter?

One common reason is the unsanitary and dangerous conditions in some mass shelters. Even Pirtle agreed that there are a number of nice and well run shelters, but when living on the streets, he would hear stories of shelters that had body lice, drug dealers, and people who would steal the tenants' shoes. So during some of the coldest of nights, where he would fear not waking up in the morning, he would still choose the stay on the streets and hope that a hypothermia van would drive by and offer a blanket. “I think people, we're creatures of habit,” he told Ari Shapiro, the radio host of the special. He explained that he would rather deal with the risks he knew about sleeping on the street, than the dangers of a shelter.

People waiting in line for a bed at a homeless
shelter in Los Angeles, California Credit: Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority

He also shed light on the difficulties of rehabilitation from a mass shelter. These shelters sometimes have hundreds of beds, and these are given out on a nightly basis. Pirtle did end up staying at a shelter for a short time, and he discovered the struggles of trying to keep a job and keep a bed. The shelter would open at 7 every night, but people would already be in line for a bed at 4:30 in the afternoon. If Pirtle were to find a job and work regular business hours, he would lose a place to sleep at night.

A solution Pirtle saw to this crisis was to get rid of mass shelters, and create more scattered and smaller shelters. A later caller named John (who wanted to keep his last name private) explained that he had worked in these types of shelters, and had seen some of the horrors Pirtle described. Even the well-run mass shelters soon got too crowded to be a safe place. He agreed that smaller shelters were the solution to this problem. Although smaller shelters may seem like a greater cost, ultimately a center more focused on getting people of the streets permanently and into a more steady housing situation would allow for more quick movement of people through the shelter. Getting people off the streets is less expensive than keeping them there (see our previous blog post: Pendleton and Wheeler: A hope to end Portland’s homelessness), so ultimately these smaller shelters would have a better return on their investment.

-Kendra Jackson

Read the full radio special here: Why Some Homeless Choose The Streets Over Shelters

Harm Reduction

It is proven that putting a person into drug therapy without their consent tends to be ineffective. This is the theory that inspired Harm Reduction methods. Harm Reduction aims to reduce the risks associated with substance abuse for the individual and the community. It does not condemn or promote the behaviors of addicts, but rather Harm Reduction focuses on reducing the risks of these already harmful activities. For example, the program educates people on the dangerous effects of drugs and alcohol. Education on these effects can help reduce overdoses and other harmful consequences that can be caused by drug use. Other types of Harm Reduction include the distribution of safety needles and educating people about safe injection points. It has been shown that needle exchange programs have reduced the sharing of needles among teens.

By using these methods we can help stop the perpetuating cycle of drug usage and prolonged homelessness.  Additionally, we can help troubled youth by giving them a realistic education on drug habits. Instead of demonising drug behaviors, it is possible to help addicts get to the root of the problem. The first step of this theoretical program aimed to help troubled youth is to get teenagers involved. Dedication to the individualized program is arguably the most important step but is often overlooked because of how difficult it is. These youth need a sense of control. It is important for them be a part of the decision making process in the program in order to increase their dedication to creating a better situation for themselves.

There is a step by step guide to help youth in Oregon called the Principles of Effective Intervention which focuses on helping at-risk youth become successful despite their destructive environment. The flaw in this program is that they have no way of getting the youth involved. It is important to increase dedication by guiding each individual to make their own program that will make each individual successful.

-Sammi VanEaton

These two articles go in depth about Harm Reduction programs and the specific effect on youth and homeless individuals:

http://www.democitydrug.org/uploads/safernight/research/Engagement%20as%20an%20ethical%20imperative%20in%20harm%20reduction%20involving%20at-risk%20youth.pdf

http://www.orgcode.com/2011/12/08/harm-reduction-and-the-provision-of-homeless-services-to-youth/

One Mans Trash is Another Mans Treasure

While many people are in support of helping those in need, some citizens in the Portland area are against the idea of opening a camp in their neighborhood. Hazelnut Grove is a new homeless camp that opened up in the Overlook neighborhood. A large amount of support was given to open this camp, but there has also been a negative reaction from the neighbors who have advocated to remove this camp from their neighborhood.

Hazelnut Grove is not the only camp that has been in the media recently. Above is a picture of North Greeley Homeless Camp, which has been a safe place to sleep for many homeless in Portland. Recently, North Greeley experienced a "camp sweep" which consisted of government employees  seizing all the tents, blankets, and supplies that the homeless had kept in the camp. According to Oregons law, these government officials have all rights to confiscate the homeless's things and store them for up to 30 days before they are allowed to get it back. Click here to watch the North Greeley campers property be swept without them knowing!

What I find most interesting about this situation is how the mayor is permitting these camps to take place but at the same time is allowing the homeless's property to be taken at random times. When a law enforcement agency takes the property, it forces the homeless to have to travel through the city, by foot, to retrieve their blankets, tents, carts, and any other material they have to help them get through the cold, rainy weather we have in Portland.

-Mahtaab Sanaee

A Duality

It is known that there are a large number of organizations (both private and public) working tirelessly to remedy the issue of homelessness in the Portland-metro area. At first glance, it may appear as if their efforts have been futile thus far. Just by taking a stroll through Chinatown, one can observe the alarmingly high amount of homeless individuals lining the sidewalks and taking refuge in public parks. Since 2013, however, the once increasing number of homeless individuals has not only ground to a screeching halt, but also began to steadily decrease, according to a study of homelessness trends of the last three years. Granted, the decrease has been less than one percent, but it is a step in the right direction to solve this once worsening problem. It would seem as though the work put in by so many individuals over the years has finally paid off.

This is all well and good until you consider that there has been an explosion in the proportion of homeless families and minorities. Wealthy individuals have found Northeast Portland an attractive place to live and this has caused property values to increase substantially, leading to many of the traditional residents to be priced out of the area. The steep increase in housing prices caused by gentrification combined with the decrease in pay for unskilled laborers (when adjusted for inflation) seems to be the culprit behind this concerning trend. Furthermore, the market for unskilled labor in Oregon has yet to recover from the Great Recession of 2008, adding fuel to the fire that is beginning to consume individuals on the lower steps of the economic-ladder. So before we start patting ourselves on the back, we need to realize that there is still much work to be done and that there is still a difference to be made.

-Matthew Warren Eggiman I

http://www.oregonlive.com/homeless/2015/06/homeless_stats_stay_consistent.html

Pendleton and Wheeler: A hope to end Portland’s homelessness

Ted Wheeler, a state treasurer running to be Portland’s next mayor, and Lloyd Pendleton, the director of Salt Lake City’s housing first plan, are planning on doing big things for Portland’s homeless population.

Lloyd Pendleton: former director of Salt Lake City's
housing first project, now head of Utah's Homeless
Task Force. Photo by Jim McAuley

In 2005, Utah began to implement its housing first plan in an effort to reach the ambitious goal of ending chronic homelessness. The plan has been an amazing success, reducing the chronic homeless population on the streets by 91%. So what is ‘housing first’? It’s pretty simple - find permanent sustainable housing now, and worry about services or treatments after. Often when applying for permanent housing, homeless people must meet prerequisites like completing a course of treatment or proving sobriety. By lowering the requirements for housing, housing first plans allow people who would typically be turned away from affordable housing to find permanent and supportive housing. In Utah, this model was more successful in the past because of their personalized approach. Weekly, representatives from the organization working on chronic homelessness in Utah would meet to go over a list. This list had the names of each chronically homeless person in Salt Lake City. They would go through the list and assign people to whatever housing openings there were that week. It was like first come, first served style with a twist, they made sure that the person was the right fit for that opening, and if not, they were put back on the list until the right opening was found.

A conservative, Pendleton used to have a different view on homelessness. He used to say, “You lazy bums, get a job, pull yourself up by the bootstraps,” but as a businessman, he changed his mind when he saw the economic cost of keeping people on the street. Pendleton discovered that on average, it costs $20,000 a year to keep a homeless person on the street, and only $10,000 to house them. Pendleton decided, “Let’s use that money to get them off the street and back into society”.

State Treasurer Ted Wheeler. Photo by 

John M. Vincent

Using Pendleton’s numbers, Portland spends almost $95 million a year on maintaining the status of homeless people. With this, I think housing first would be a great solution for the city’s homeless problem, and I’m hoping Ted Wheeler will consider it too.

Wheeler announced that his top priority if elected mayor would be ending homelessness, stating that every homeless person would have a bed within the first 2 years of his administration. He stated, “We now only have one emergency bed for every three people on our streets, in our parks, or in the campsites that dot our city. We must do better”. He says that he will be considering all options to find shelter for the people of Portland, and that these shelters that he is looking for must meet certain criteria, such as being cost effective and providing service to keep people off the streets permanently. In his considerations, I hope he also considers a housing first approach in filling these beds.

-Kendra Jackson

Articles Referenced in this post:

Utah Reduced Chronic Homelessness By 91 Percent; Here's How

The Housing First Checklist

On Pendleton, Wheeler and an end to homelessness

Wheeler promises shelter beds for all homeless if elected mayor

'Tis the Season to be Giving

At this time of year, we’re often preoccupied with getting the right gifts, putting up the lights, or finding the perfect ugly sweater to wear to the next holiday party. In the midst of all this holiday fervor it’s easy to forget about the people who don’t have the money to buy gifts for their children or even a home to decorate with holiday lights. The City of Portland is home to 600,000 people, and over 4,000 of those people will be homeless during the holiday season. This year, let’s all take more time to lend a hand to the people experiencing homelessness this winter. Just because you can’t put a roof over someone’s head doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference. There are many meaningful ways you can help the homeless around the holidays.

1. Donate food, funds, or time-- According to a study done by End Homelessness, one in two food bank users are children, and since the recession, visits to food banks have increased by 45%. Help ensure that kids have enough food to eat through the holiday season. Many agencies are looking for volunteers to help with activities like sorting donations, serving food, and wrapping gifts.You can also put together a care package with the basics; winter clothing, toiletries, and gift cards for groceries. These items seem “routine” but significantly ease the strain of day-to-day living for individuals and families in need.
2. Contribute to a toy drive-- Holidays are a particularly stressful time for homeless parents and low-income families. This year, donate to a toy drive. You can drop off unwrapped toys, gifts, and gift cards to any toy drive. These items can help provide some holiday cheer for Portland children and families struggling to make ends meet.
3. Lend an ear-- The homeless are a vulnerable population, subject to a number of stereotypes and often treated as if they are invisible. Many people without permanent housing say that the loss of dignity that comes with homelessness is harder to deal with than the actual loss of physical things. Even if you don’t have money or time to donate, try smiling, saying “good morning,” or acknowledging the homeless when you pass them in the streets. Treating the homeless with respect is a small step in the right direction towards eradicating stereotypes and changing the way we think about our homeless population.

It’s important to remember that the homeless struggle not only during the holidays, but year-round. If you’re able to donate time, funds, or food this season, consider making it a monthly habit. We should all aim to spend a little less time on the couch with Netflix, and a little more energy getting involved in our communities in the new year.

-Lynette Daigo

What if you were homeless for a day?

I’ve lived in the Portland area almost my entire life. I love this city; the vibrancy and artistic hipster lifestyle is exciting and is the staple of this unique place. Despite all these amazing cultural aspects, there is a prevalent issue here. My early childhood memories include seeing homeless people standing on street corners in the pouring rain, grasping cardboard signs with sprawled sharpie reading “Homeless. Anything helps. God bless.” Now, I was watching this from behind the safety and comfort of my car window, and it was a hard concept to grasp at seven years old. The fact of the matter is that this sight is too common in Portland.

My parents exposed me to this situation in great ways as a kid. We have served dinner to homeless people, made hygiene kits, and donated our money in addition to our time. But even with all of this experience, there is still some distance between me and them.

A few months ago my aunt shared a woman’s story on Facebook (the link is below). This woman’s story fascinated me because she put herself into the shoes of a homeless person for one day. Her observations are not as much about the struggles one might imagine, but rather the lack of humanity that these people experience on the streets. Countless people will walk by someone sitting on the side of the road and not give them a sideways glance. Maybe they aren’t thinking about their lack of eye contact as contributing to the absence of humanity that homeless people experience. But this is the case, according to this woman’s first hand experience; this seemingly small detail changes everything. When she found an 82 year old woman sitting on a walker in front of a Whole Foods, she talked to her and touched her arm, moving the old woman to tears for the compassion that she hadn’t had in years.

Everyone has their story; some of the homeless in Portland are drug addicts, some are mentally ill, and some are lost and trying to find their way. Before assuming the worst of someone, make the conscious decision to see the best in people, despite our varying differences and situations. No one wants to be homeless. We need to respect everyone, regardless of where they are in life.

Obviously, we don’t all need to try being homeless. But I would encourage everyone to make an effort to show kindness to others. I recently was in SE Hawthorne, and I gave my leftovers to some homeless men sitting on the sidewalk. It didn’t mean that much to me, but it was clear that it meant a lot to them. Small, random acts of kindness make the world go round. My leftovers will not solve the problem of homelessness in Portland, but they will make a small difference in someone else’s life. If we all do something, big or small, whether it’s smiling at a stranger or giving away some leftovers or donating money to an organization. We can all do something.

The most important lessons learned from the Facebook post are as follows:

1. Be compassionate towards everyone you encounter, always.
2. We are all people, with our own stories, and we should never be too quick to pass judgement.
3. Do something.

-Samantha Sidline

If you want to read the original Facebook post (and I think you should!), check out this link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206173075358670&set=a.1054787822753.10463.1617551447&type=3&theater


Photograph: https://www.google.com/search?q=homeless+portland&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwieiZ2LmubJAhUUV2MKHRpFBQ4Q_AUICCgC&biw=1366&bih=667#safe=strict&tbm=isch&q=homeless+people&imgrc=-bRk7-nYqOjdaM%3A