street roots
2
Jan. 18, 2013
Real relief is still worth pursuing
This village mustn't turn a
blind eye to Its neighbors
magine a village that, due to circumstances beyond its
borders, had several thousand people living without
housing.
In response, the village established an array of services
and shelter for its citizens. Over time it became clear that
the services offered were simply not enough to maintain
individuals and families needs. Those who could not take
care of themselves began to fall through the cracks. Many of
the disabled and elderly scrambled to obtain services.
People dealing with mental health problems were left out in
the cold. Families trying to stay together did everything in
their power to maintain a dignified life despite their
circumstances. In one
year, 47 people without
The group was
shelter died.
unconventional, and
In response to the
viewed as an
crisis a group of citizens
obstruction to progress created their own
and new development
makeshift refuge.
Installing tents and
that would help
canopies on a plot of land
increase the livability
to better serve those
of the rest of the
without shelter, the small
village.
group created a safe
place for people to exist
until services became available.
Many people in the village who had no resources and cared
for the poor believed the group’s actions were justified and
held them up as heroes. Others believed the group to be
rogue and an eyesore for the community.
Villagers were conflicted. On one hand, the group was
creating a safe place for people to be. The group was orderly
and maintained basic principles and standards that held
people accountable. On the other hand, the group was
unconventional, and viewed as an obstruction to progress
and new development that would help increase the livability
omelessness in our community and
cities throughout the country has
become the new normal. That’s a
problem.
Three decades ago,
the federal
government began
slashing housing and
mental health
programs. The
By Israel Bayer
bleeding has never
stopped. The rise of
modern-day
homelessness in the 1980s came with a
response of anger and concern by many
people living in urban environments who
believe that no human being should be
without shelter and housing.
During that time we’ve seen many
progressive local communities work to
backfill the loss of federal and state dollars.
We now stand on a dangerous and blurry
line that has local communities fatigued and
questioning how many resources it will
actually take to tackle the problem.
Entire generations are now born into a
time when homelessness is built into the
fabric of urban living. It’s no longer
abnormal to see a homeless person in a
doorway on your way to work or school.
Individuals and families may have different
responses to homelessness itself, but
ultimately the idea of actually ending
homelessness on a massive scale feels like
a long shot to many.
When I started this work 15 years ago, I
was astounded at the reality of poverty. I’m
an optimist, but I couldn’t understand why
people didn’t recognize the inhumane
treatment of people experiencing
H
I
DIRE
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Roots. You can
reach him at
israel@streetroots. org
for the rest of the village.
To make matters more complicated, the owner of the plot
of land where the refuge was set up was seen as a villain by
the village’s leaders and many in the public eye.
In the end, the refuge was deemed illegal and fined for
existing. The group responded by suing the village through
a democratic process to be allowed to exist. Those who
believed the group should be disbanded or moved out of the
public’s eye began to organize against the group, putting
public pressure on the village leaders to take care of the
situation.
Village leaders sent mixed messages. Some believed the
group was doing good work. Some exalted its work during
local elections as being a solution, while others either
ignored or worked to disband the group by demanding the
one thing it didn’t have: money. There were no clear
outcomes or leadership toward a compromise, splitting
public opinion and giving people on all sides of the issue
anxiety over what the solution might actually be.
Over time people grew tired and weary, especially during
the cold, hard winter months - both at the refuge and in the
village. Some took it as a sign of hope for the people without
shelter, while others grew cynical and believed that nothing
good would come of the situation.
The village is Portland, Oregon, and the refuge is Right 2
Dream Too, a tent city created to serve people experiencing
homelessness. The City of Portland should work to find a
solution.
Street Roots
211 NW Davis St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-228-5657
Fax: 503-227-3117
www.streetroots.org
www.news.streetroots.org
In Remembrance Of
By John Pinney
Unknown
They died without names
And each year we take a day
Unknown
To remember and cherish
Those who were taken without
Unknown
Name, voice, or identity
Struck down for lack of conformity
Unknown
In a pew, at this mass of remembrance
Forgotten names that tear at my chest like lead
Unknown
A cold comfort to give you grace now
Someone who died to inspire my tomorrow.
Unknown dedication
To my transgender brothers and sisters lost
To a crucible of fire
Unknown
May we burn brighter still, those left behind
And to your true name, whatever that may be,
bring honor
Unknown
WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
joanne@streetroots.org
Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel
cole@streetroots.org
Operations Director Sara Beecroft
Program Assistant Kara Dimitruk, Jesuit
Volunteer AmeriCorps Member
kara@streetroots.org
Grant Writer Sarah Cloud
Development Assistant Cynthia Kiehl
Reporters Jake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Robert
Britt, Sue Zalokar
Photographers Leah Nash, Ken Hawkins, Kristina
Wright, Christopher Onstott
Stay connected with us online
through Facebook and Twitter
homelessness. People were sick, the elderly
uncared for, the mentally ill ignored. People
died, and society and people in power didn’t
seem to care. At least that s how I
internalized it. I protested. I got arrested. I
swam against the current and raged against
the machine for not offering enough
resources to combat poverty in our
community.
Those turbulent emotions continue to
this day. But so does the optimism.
Working on the front lines of poverty you
become a shell of your former self and
realize that if you’re working for long-term
change that it’s a marathon and not a
sprint. You have to find a way to work with
others and find ways to inspire change in
the community. For every tragedy that
occurs on the streets, there’s someone who
overcomes his or her circumstance,
sometimes against all odds.
I believe that we as a community, and
specifically our local and state government,
are at a crossroads. The one thing we know
is that real relief from the feds isn’t coming
to solve this problem. As we move forward
with new leadership and a changing
economy — it’s imperative that we don’t
lose any more ground on the poverty front.
With new legislative leadership in Oregon
and a new mayor and council in Portland,
with the shifting of local resources to and
from different government bodies — we ask
all of our elected representatives to
prioritize poverty in not only the upcoming
budget, but in the next decade. We look to
our leaders to go above and beyond the
normal speak and to do great things on the
poverty front. This is no time to give up.
Send letters to the editor to the Street Roots office, 211 NW Davis St.,
Portland, OR 97209, or e-mail to joanne@streetroots.org.
Board of Directors
Bruce Anderson (Chairman), Michael Anderson (Vice-
chairman), Heather Stadick (Treasurer), Eddy Barbosa
(Secretary), Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo Rhodes,
Ken Hawkins, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander
Volunteers
Mary Pacios, Leo Rhodes, Jan Bayer, Sue Zalokar,
Robert Britt, Shannon Lattin, Jim Quinlan, Ann
Ereline, Vinnie Kinsella, Sharron Thompson, Ann-
Derrick Galliot, Art Garcia, Joe Thick, Erin Fenner
Street Roots Rose City Resource
Street Roots publishes the Rose City Resource, a
comprehensive booklet of services for people
experiencing homelessness and poverty.
To inquire about getting an order of the Rose City
Resource for distribution, please write to
pdxrosecityresource@gmail.com. Resources are also
available online at www.rosecityresource.org.
tuk
rxirtcti
75c
goes directly to the vendor
who sold you the paper
Vendor orientations are at 1 p.m. every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office.