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.