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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (July 19, 2013)
street roots 2 Ju ly 19, 2013 Summertime — when the giving is easy! T Housing a logical prescription in health care reform regon is at the forefront of health care reform. Both national and local media, including Street Roots, has been covering the planned changes over the past two years. More recently, a multi-million dollar ad campaign has begun to educate residents on what’s becoming available and how the new health care system will work. Go to www.coveroregon.org to find out more. Coordinating these efforts around the state are what’s called coordinated care organizations, also known as C C O s. In the Portland region, a group called Health Share of Oregon is working with hospitals, social-service agencies and local health departments to coordinate the new health care system. At the heart of the health care reform effort is how to reshape the future of the industry, save costs In so many key debates and prove a healthier Oregon, both nationally, housing for individually and our most vulnerable collectively. citizens, is left out of Housing is one of the the conversation. ________ _____________________________ tools being talked about as a cost preventive measure (see page 8) and a way to provide a healthy quality of life for people experiencing extreme poverty and homelessness. Street Roots and many experts, including Central City Concern, believe that in order for health care reform in Oregon and around the nation to be successful, housing must be a key component of the resources allocated to help vulnerable population get healthy and save costs. In 2012, as a part of its health care reform effort, New York received a waiver from the federally funded Medicaid and Medicare administrators, allowing the state to direct $86 million of its Medicaid budget toward funding supportive housing programs. The state also applied for another waiver that would generate $150 million each year that would be used for expanding the availability of supportive housing. The idea of providing housing as a cost-savings measure is something that advocates and many health care providers have known for decades. Providing stable housing not only saves lives, but also saves the entire medical system money. It seems like a no brainer, right? We believe so. In so many key debates nationally, housing for our most vulnerable citizens, is left out of the conversation. Health care reform provides the opportunity to bring two very different ideological camps together. Both bleeding heart liberals and staunch conservatives should be able to get behind a plan to use health care dollars for housing - especially if it’s fiscally responsible and saves local communities money. Giving people an opportunity to be successful in life is icing on the cake. We still have a long way to go on the health care front, but by providing services and housing to people accessing the system, we’re on the right path to becoming a more healthy society. he Street Roots online auction is live, running today through Monday, July 29, atwww. streetrootsauction.org. Visit the site and you’ll ■■■■■1 have a chance to support Street Roots and get some great items in return. The organization moved the auction from October to Israel Bayer July, with the hopes of 1— giving people the opportunity to support Street Roots during the summer months. At the auction you’ll find some great summer fun. We have food and more food, beer, massages, summer events, music and more. From the Oregon Brewers Fest to Timbers tickets to a home concert from the Decemberists and Black Prairie member Jenny Conlee and friends. There’s something for everyone. Don’t be shy. Your support of Street Roots will mean that the organization will remain strong this summer. Street Roots ended this fiscal year (June-July) on solid ground with a reserve in the bank. We’re supporting O By Israel Bayer is the executive director o f Street Roots. You can reach him at israel@streetroots. org or follow him on Twitter @israelbayer. more people experiencing homelessness and poverty than ever before. Our team works to help stabilize individuals through the sales of the newspaper and by being a connection to housing services available in the community. In the coming year, Street Roots will distribute 140,000 resource guides - up from 100,000 last year - to more than 300 groups. Both the vendor program and the resource guide are growing and that has everything to do with you, the reader and supporter. We thank you for the love. Look for Street Roots and the editorial team to continue to report and publish hard-hitting and award-winning news and commentary that you re not going to find anywhere else. At a time when The Oregonian is downsizing, professional local news and commentary are more important than ever. Our small team delivers time and time again, and with the support of the larger street newspaper network, we’re very excited for the upcoming year. Street Roots isn’t conventional. We rely on readers and supporters, who believe in our work to carry us through. We appreciate the love. By Helen Hill Bruce Anderson (Chairman), Michael Anderson (Vice- chairman), Heather Stadick (Treas.), Eddy Barbosa (Sec.), joanne^streetroots.org cata Nora Coon, Darren Alexander, Amber Bielraan lor Coordinator Cob on Fridays, and is available exclusively through our cole@streetroots.org Program Assistant Kara Dimitruk, Jesuit Street Roots 211 NW Davis St Portland, OR 97209 503-228-5657 Fax: 503-227-3117 www.streetroots.org www.news.streetroots.org o u Volunteer AmeriCorps Member, kara@streetroots.org Development Director Sarah Cloud Reporters Jake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Nathan Gilles, Robert Britt, Sue Zalokar, Erin Fenner Photographers Kristina Wright, Christopher Onstott Mary Pacios, Jan Bayer, Ann Ereline, Vinnie Kinsella, Ann-Derrick Galliot, Joe Thick, Stacey Heath, Taurin Skinner-Macginnis, Bethany Hague, Michelle Holbert, John Lisifka, Raven Canoles, Carol McCreary, Michelle Breslau, Paula Cracas 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 guides, call 503-228-5657. Resources are also available online at www.rosecityresource.org. 75c goes directly to the vendor who sold you the paper 25c goes toward printing costs Vendor orientations are at 1 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office.
