Street roots
Ja n 17, 2014
EDITORIAL
City has to back up good
intentions with leadership
ayor Charlie Hales didn’t become mayor
with the hopes of having to solve
homelessness, especially in a growing city
like Portland. But the crisis of thousands of people
sleeping outside, as it relates to mental health,
public safety, neighborhood livability and the lack of
housing is exactly what Hales has inherited.
Hales isn’t alone. The same debate about what to
do about homelessness and the housing shortage is
happening all across the United States.
We commend the mayor for making homelessness
a budget priority in the upcoming 2014-15 budget.
It’s not an easy task.
Everyone has an opinion
The complexities of
on how to spend what
the homelessness and
little we have to solve
housing crisis in our
the massive problem of
city and around the
homelessness. It takes
nation are many. The-
more than good
federal governments
intentions and idealism
lack of support for
to manage the problem.
local communities on |
the issue has been an
ongoing crisis. In 1978, the federal government
budgeted $83 billion through the Bureau of Housing
and Urban Development toward housing for low-
income Americans. In 2012, that number was closer
to $41 billion. Currently, Congress is looking at ‘Y
cutting $9 billion in food stamp assistance over the
next 10 years. That’s not to mention the jack of
vision on supporting people without employment.
In many ways, Portland has a mayor and four city
M
commissioners who are not only sympathetic to the
cause, but also understand its many complexities.
You can’t solve homelessness with one central ,
theme or strategy, and you can’t simply make the'
problem go away.
How a city responds to its own residents, and
people struggling without a home, is a direct
representation of the values of tliat community. In
Portland, it’s clear we need ongoing support to help
individuals and families have the opportunity to be
successful. It starts with giving people a safe place
to call home.
It’s not an easy task for government to solve the
issue. Everyone has an opinion on how to spend
what little we have to solve the massive problem of
homelessness. It takes more than good intentions
and idealism to manage the problem. It’s one thing
to care about the issue, it’s another all together to
dig in and work towards solving it.
J Creating a more coordinated effort with the
community and mental health outreach workers,
housing women and children experiencing7
homelessness, and finding a permanent location for
Right 2 Dream Too are all in the best interest of the
city. And that makes us all stakeholders. And
fortunately, many hands make light work.
»
-
,
We have the energy to power solutions
reality is that while many institutions are
hat happens when a group of
tired of seeing homeless people downtown
people experiencing homelessness
and throughout the community, people
and poverty decide to take matters
experiencing homelessness and advocates
into their own hands and organize to
improve their quality of trying to fihd solutions are pretty darned
tired too,
life? Unfortunately,
While it may be hard to believe, we are
they often are looked
actually making headway. The latest $1.7. j
DIRECTOR'S upon as a nuisance in
million bump from the city to support
the community.
DESK
targeted outreach for homeless women and
It’s common
By Israel Bayer
people experiencing crisis is one example of
knowledge that many
people on the streets
taking the bull by the horns and working
Isra el B ayer is the
are demonized as lazy
surgically to deliver outcomes. It’s clear that
executive director o f
and not doing for
moving forward we can’t be thinking in
Street R oots. You can
themselves. We also know that the Portland
term« of us-versus-them, but instead work
reach h im a t
Business Alliance and The Oregonian
israel@streetroots.org
together to deliver real housing options for
or follow him. on
editorial board advocate for stricter sidewalk people on the streets. We have some real
Twitter @israelbayen
laws, and that law enforcement is forced to
opportunities in the next city and county
act, Sweeping camps when they are deemed
budget cycles.
unruly or where there is open drug use and/
Right 2 Dream Too is a no-brainer. The
or violence..
city m ust work together with Right 2 Dream
That’s why I can’t understand why Right 2 T90 and the business community to find a; |
Dream Too and other homeless-advocates
location for the organization. The group
are discredited when they work to reverse
offers real solutions to the illogical reality of
the very trends considered to be at the root
homelessness. I don’t personally know
of the problem.
where the group should end up
. What makes one homeless organization a
permanently, but 1 4 o know that they are
success and a group like Right 2 Dream Too
not going away and deserve a sáfe place to
a nuisance in the community?
call home.
Send letters to the i
For more than two years, Right 2 Dream
When it comes to The Oregonian editorial
editor to the Street
Too has worked to give more than 100
board, I personally have no qualms with any
Roots office, 2U < > individuals and families a safe place to bed
newspaper determining an editorial stance
down at night. The organization has rules
NW Davis St.,
prohibiting any drug use or violence. They , based upon in-depth reporting and taking
Portland, OR 97209,
everyone’s account into consideration. We
worked with local social-service
or e-mail to joanne® have
just ask that they also take into
agencies and government to get people off
consideration the complexities and harsh
streetroots.org
the streets and into perm anent housing.
realities of homelessness, and the fact that
They have participated, like other
there is a reason groups like Right 2 Dream
organizations^ in public process, and are
Too exist. It’s not because nearly one million
respectful to institutions even in the face of
people woke up this morning in America
those groups trying to discredit and destroy
wanting to be homeless.
their existence.
There’s no singlestrategy or theme to fc
In many ways Right 2 Dream Too is-not" '
tackle the problem of homelessness. It
only a response to homelessness itself, it’s a
response to the very critics like the Portland requires a coordinated effort. We will have
to continue to work together across political,
Business Alliance and The Oregonian
economical and ideological philosophies.
editorial board that have consistently
Being able to offer housing to people
advocated for safer behaviors downtown.
suffering from mental health and addiction
Unfortunately, these critics have repeatedly
means worlting with a broad coalition of
chosen to throw groups like Right 2 Dream
individuals and organizations. We can’t do
Too and many others under the bus due to
this in a vacuum. No one organization or
short-sighted policy strategies that
entity can solve this problem alone.
repeatedly fail to come to fruition. The
■
WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
n behalf of myself and many others, I would like to
thank you, and the many other sponsors and others
who helped bring love, peace and joy to the many
homeless and below-poverty line individuals during the
2013 Christmas holiday Season. Your gifts and theirs ..
allowed many families and individuals to experience a safe
and happy holiday!
B
DAVID L. MAY
Portland
...
0ur mission
Staff
Street Roctsaeates income opportunities for
people experiencing homelessness and poverty by
producing a newspaper and other media that are
catalysts for individuai and sodai change.
Executive Birector Israel Bayer
Street Roots publishes every two weeks, launching
on Fridays, and is available exclusively through our
street vendors or t y subscription. We are proud
members of the North American Street
Newspaper Association and the international
Network of Street Papers.
Street Roots
211 NW Davis S t
Portland, OR 972Ö9
503-228-5657
Fax:503-227-3117
streetroots.org
news.streetroots.org
LETTER
israel@streetroots.org /
, Editor Joanne Zuhl
joanne@streetroots.org
Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel
cde@streetro0ts.0rg
Operations Director Sarah Beecroft
Program Assistant Grace Radik, Jesuit Volunteer,.
grace@streetroots.org
Development Director Sarah Cloud
Office Assistant Amber Bielman
Reporters Jake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Nathan
Gilles, Sue Zalokar, Ann-Derrick Gaillot
Photographers Kristina Wright, Christopher
Onstott
Board of Directors
• Brace Anderson {Sairm ari, Michael Anderson (Vke* -
chairman), Heather Stadick {freas^ Eddy Barbosa (Sec.),
" Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon, A
Darren Alexander, Amber Bielman
"
Volunteers
Street Roots vendors buy the newspapers for 25 cents
each and sell them for $1, keeping the 75 cents in
profit for themselves In-Order to keep the cost low to
our vendors, we receive additional support fro m .
donations and in-kind contributions. ' ;
•
Jan Bayer, lisa Waldo, Elizabeth Tierney, Rob
Shyrock, Ann-Derrick Gailfoty Stacey Heath, Vinnje
Kinsella, Michelle Breslau, Paula Cracas,. Sharron
Thompson, John Barker, Mary Locke; Lucas Manfield,
Jessie Carver, Cherie Vedal, Sam Bouman, Alana
Kansaku-Sarmiento
Street Roots Rosa 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.rasedtyresource.org.
MMÄ
75
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.