Street roots
May 13, 2011
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In this economic crisis, County must make wise investments
BY DEBORAH KAFOURY
My prioritiesfor this year include a few
items that I know will'make a difference in
n a cold night last winter, I took my
people’s lives immediately. Some of these
10-year-old son with me to serve
items I’ve highlighted below were in the
dinner at the Winter Warming
Chair’s proposed budget and some I will
Shelter. By the time we arrived, families propose as amendments to the budget.
were already lined up outside.
■ Short Term Rent Assistance. It works.
The evening flew by. While I helped dish
With small amounts of money we can
out servings of lasagna, salad and roasted
prevent and end homelessness. This year,
vegetables, my son played with the children
the County devoted a little more than
who were staying at the shelter.
$354,000 to short-term rent assistance^ In
As we were driving home, I thanked my
this budget, Chair Cogen added an
Son for coming with me and asked him what additional $500,000, which is tremendous.
he thought about the evening, He was silent But with stimulus funds going away, this
for a minute and then, remembering the
increased investment will only maintain the
families waiting by the door, said “it was
current level of rent assistance. Already,
really cold out tonight”
agencies that.distribute rent assistance run
My children are used to dinner time
out by the 5th of every month. For that
conversation about those in need. We talk
reason, I’m going to ask the Board to double
about poverty, homelessness and helping
the proposed addition to $1 million. (If you
others. But all the words in the world
need rent assistance, please call 211).
cannot replace an evening’s experience.
■ Bridges to Housing provides 139
We all know times are tough. Sometimes
previously homeless families with housing
the problems feel so daunting that you don’t and intensive case management The
know where to. begin. As your Multnomah
private grant funding that built this program
County Commissioner, one of the best
is now finished. It is critical housing for
opportunities I have to make a difference is
families that we’ve built over the last five
through the County’s Budget
years and we can’t afford to let it go away.
On May 5, County Chair Jeff Cogen
Thank you to the Chair for including an
released his proposed budget. My fellow
additional $480,000'.-to fully fund Bridges to
Commissioners and I have just over a month Housing.
to ask questions, propose changes, and
■ East County Outreach. People are
adopt a balanced budget.
sleeping outside from Forest Park to
Over one third of the County’s budget
Thousand Acres outside of Troutdale. Last
comes from the state and federal
year,-the County partnered with JOIN on a
governments. We are expecting anywhere
pilot program to reach out to people
from $17* million to $60 million of cuts to
camping in East County. Our small
essential services like mental and physical
investment of $75,000 was much more
health care, public safety, aind energy
effective at ending homelessness than
assistance.
continued sweeps by the Sheriff’s office. I
On the one hand, given the unknown cuts will propose that the County continue to
ahead, I feel the need to be conservative
fund this effort.
with our general fund. If the state cuts
■ Rapid Re-Housing. For the-last two. -
programs that people in our community can^ years, I’ve requested emergency funding to
not live without, we may have to step in.
house families in our winter warming
On the other hand, the hard times are
shelter. The first year, we housed 32
here and I believe we need to invest in .
families in 30 days. Last year, we housed
people who need help.
over 65 families. At my request, Chair
C O N TR IBU TIN G WRITER
0
Deborah Kafoury is
the Multnomah
County Commissioner
for District One
Cogen added $325,000 to the budget again
this year, so we don’t have to wait for an
emergency. This strategy works to get
families quickly out of shelter and into
stable housing.
■ Action for Prosperity. The County’s
dedicated anti-poverty providers are trying
new ways to address homelessness. The
. newest approach pairs rent assistance, case
management, and job
training together for
families in crisis..
Stimulus dollars
Over one third of the
initially funded this
County's budget conies from
program, named
the state and federal
Action for Prosperity.
I will be advocating
governments. We are
adding $195,000 for
expecting anywhere from
another phase of this
$ 1 7 m illion to $ 6 0 m illion
initiative, leveraging
investments from the - of cuts to essential services
Housing Authority of
like mental and physical
Portland and
Worksystems Inc, our health care, public safety,
partners in this effort. and energy assistance.
■ Street Roots’
Rose City Resource.
County staff and those
we contract with use this guide on a daily
basis. It’s time we started paying our fair
share of the cost to produce and distribute
i t The Chair included $20,000 in the
proposed budget to make sure the Street
Roots’ Rose City Resource continues to
exist.
Together, these items total just over $2.1
million. In light of the economic crisis we :
find ourselves in, these are wise
investments that will help people
immediately. I would appreciate any
feedback you have on these proposals and
on the budget in general. Email me at
districtl@multco.ua ox come to a budget.
hearing and share your opinion. The full
schedule and link to the proposed budget is
available at http://web.multco.us/board/
budget-hearings..
Cost of renting continues to creep out of reach
ALISON MCINTOSH
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T
Alison McIntosh is a Policy Manager with
Neighborhood Partnerships
ents rise despite high unemployment,
foreclosures and downed economy
, Higher prices in the rental market
more and more Oregon families find
continue to force Oregon families to choose
themselves homeless for the first time.
between paying rent, putting food on the
“Every year it is becoming more difficult
table, and paying utility bills. A national
for hard working Oregonians to find decent
study reports that the cost of renting an
homes they can afford,” said Suzanne
apartment in Oregon has increased again,
Washington, Deputy Director of Impact
an alarming trend for a State with
Northwest “This year, someone making
unemployment at 10 percent.
minimum wage in the Portland metro would
“The on-going recession, high
have to work nearly twelve hours a day,
unemployment and continued wave of
seven days a week just to be able to afford a
foreclosures in Oregon continues to make it
place to call home.”
more difficult for hard working Oregonians
“Hardworking people should be able to
to find a safe, decent and affordable place to
afford housing and still have enough money
call home,” said Janet Byrd, Chair of the
for groceries and other basic necessities,”
Housing Alliance, “In Oregon, we believe
said Janet Byrd. “Too many families in the
everyone needs a place to call home« As we
Portland metro area can’t afford a safe,
work together to’solve the current budget
stable place to call home. We’re calling on
crisis, the Legislature needs to prioritize
the State Legislature to provide support for
providing basic needs to those most
affordable housing and emergency rent
impacted by the ongoing recession.”
According to the report released today by assistance to hélp protect families and
children affected by the recession.”
the National Low Income Housing Coalition
The report, Out of Reach 2010, was
(NLIHC), the average rent and the income
jointly
released by the National Low Income
required to afford those rents continue to
Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a Washington,
rise despite high unemployment and
DC-based housing advocacy group, and
foreclosures. As rents continue to increase,
R
Oregon’s Housing Alliance, The report
provides data for every state, metropolitan
area and county in the country. The report
also defines a housing wage, which for
Oregon is $15.81, nearly double Oregon’s
minimum wage. The Housing Wage is the
hourly wage a family must earn — working
40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year — to be
able to afford rent and utilities m the private
housing market The average fair market
rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Oregon
is $822 — a number that has increased 35
percent since 2000.
This year, Oregon is the 29th most
expensive state in the nation for renters.
The National Housing Wage is $18.46 in \
2011.
For additional information, visit www.
nlihc.org/oor/oor2011/.
The Housing Alliance brings together
advocates, local governments, housing
authorities, community development
corporations, environmentalists, service/
providers, business interests and all others
dedicated to increasing the resources
available to meet our housing needs to
support a common statewide legislative and
policy agenda.
Love America
by Sam Al-Jondi
America is you and me
Always and forever more to be.
Work of the divine is in thee.
For all to wonder and see
From sea to shining sea.
Red White and Blue!
For that whd knows and that
Who has no clue.
Yes we can, yes we can do.
The people with the plan
Where the Noble blood ran
Yes we can, yes we can.
Do you understand Mr. Stan?
Lead humanity, not into temptation
But to the Land of Salvation
True Guardians of Civilization
That is our destination.
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