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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2009)
w CELEBDATING A DECADE street roots 15 Education ^-Dialogue ♦ Independence EDITORIAL Region must work for housing levy Help SR stay alive during hard times A big thanks to everyone who participated in the Street Roots X X online auction - we hope you enjoyed the form at It was a way for us to use low overhead while partnering with local businesses to raise money for our important ver wonder why so many people are experiencing cause. It’s vital, with homelessness in Portland, or why the p a n h andling '* little resources, to debate never seems to die? It most certainly has work smarter. We something to do with the economy, but it also has hope this was the DIRECTOR'S case. something to do with the lack of ongoing revenue and DESK This was our first affordable housing units available to low-income w orking time doing such a ? people.*; B y Israel Bayer thing, and a big shout Our sister city to the north in Seattle, just Out goes to all the overwhelmingly passed (63 percent) a housing levy for volunteers who made Israel Bayer is the executive $145 million dollars over a seven year period. Most of the it happen, specifically Sarah-Beecroft, our director o f Street Roots a n d levy, $104 million, will go toward producing and preserving Drupal guru who continues to help Street the chairm an o f the N orth A m erica n Street Newspaper Roots climb into the 21st Century. She also 1,670 apartments for low-income individuals, while another A ssociation. You ca n reach spearheaded the Rose City Resource $4 million will go to more than 3,000 individuals and him a t streetroots@hotmail. com. Website at www.rosecityresource.org. families in*need of rent Our goal was to raise $3-4,000 with the assistance. auction, and you helped us raise more than We also realize there's It doesn’t stop there. $5,000, so thank you. We are already many competing More than $6 million will go looking at ways to improve next year’s interests, ranging from auction. towards purchasing land for the schools to human We’ve also received nearly $2,000 in affordable housing, with $14 services and the arts. At individual donations in the first two weeks million going toward the end of the day, all of the Winter Fund Drive. We’re hoping to operations and maintenance of these things - raise $25,000 to help us maintain for affordable rental units immediate incoine opportunities for people schools, human and another $9 million experiencing homelessness and poverty, services and parks going for homebuyer’s while bringing you some of the Pacific would benefit from a assistance. Northwest’s best social-justice media. We revenue stream can’t do it without you. The levy not only provides dedicated to improving It’s no secret that Street Roots is homes for people the quality of life by , struggling to stay upright in these hard experiencing homelessness, providing a warm and economic times. We’re hurting, you’re and poverty, it also goes to hurting; we’re all hurting in. this downed safe place for create an ongoing revenue economy. , individuals and stream for jobs and Street Roots has relied on the public at families to call home. ■ construction projects in the region. All for $17 per $100,000 of assessed property value annually. That means for most Portland homeowners, they would be contributing $34 to $68. That might be the same amount you find yourself donating to a local non-profit to help feed, cloth or house an individual. Why not put that money toward something that will house thousands of people? Street Roots realizes there are barriers both locally and at a state level concerning the tax structures and how money will be allocated. We also realize there are many competing interests, ranging from the schools to human services and the arts. At the end of the day, all of these things - schools, human services and the arts would benefit from a revenue stream dedicated to improving the quality of life by providing awarm and safe place for individuals and families to call home. The region has excellent leadership at a government level when it comes to helping secure funding for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. In the past year, both city and county government have been engaged at one level or another in helping maintain, our fragile safety net for the area’s poor. They’ve done more with less and should be commended for their efforts. In a time when unemployment rates, hunger and homelessness are at an all-time high both locally and throughout Oregon - we have a responsibility to help maintain the basic needs of our citizens - not just this year, but for many years to come. The recent passing of the housing levy in Seattle gives us hope. Hope that even in hard times people can pull together and find a Way to do the right thing - even if that means paying $17 to $100 a year forthe areas most vulnerable citizens. Street Roots believes the political will exists to pass a levy or a tax locally for affordable housing. We re hoping that together as a community, we can make that happen in 2010. S T R E E T ROOTS’ EDITORIAL BOARD . The views expressed in the editorials in Street Roots are the consensus erf members of the editorial board and * contributing volunteers. • •_I l i large, money generated by Street Roots (vendor, sponsorships, advertising sales) that accounts for about 50 percent of our budget For the other 50 percent we rely on foundations to support us. But the reality is, like many non-profits, much of the foundation world is hurting too. We’re working hard to remove the obstacles of remaining dependent on foundations for our survival and trying to create alternative measures to become self- sustainable (like the SR online auction). We hope you see the value in the organization that we see day in and day out on the streets. If you do, we are asking for your help. This year we have spearheaded campaigns to help preserve millions of dollars in city funding for homeless and housing services, saved 300 families from Section 8 eviction, and delivered you in-depth journalism in 26 issues on Portland’s changing demographics, the war on drugs, the affordable housing business and policies that affect not just people on the streets, but everyday Portlanders just like you. We also helped house 50 individuals and boosted the quality of life for more than 300 people on the streets or at risk of becoming homeless, while helping thousands upon thousands of people connect with resources through the resource guide. Not bad for a humbling budget of 200k. We need to raise $18,000 more by January to stay upright. Please help us by „ giving at www.streetroots.oirg or by supporting us through the Willamette Week Give! Guide at www.wweek.com/giveguide/ or by sending a check to 211 NW Davis, PDX, OR. 97209. Your donation matters!
