Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (July 24, 2015)
S treet Roots • J u ly 2 4 - 3 0 , 2 0 1 5 News Page 7 City, county looking fo r landlords to house homeless veterans BY EMILY GREEN STAFF WRITER "V TT T ith approximately 360 Portland-area % /% / veterans still in need of housing, ▼ ▼ city and county officials are pleading with landlords to consider taking homeless veterans as tenants in order to reach local and federal goals of housing all veterans by the end of 2015. “Maybe these veterans don’t have the best credit history or rental history, but we’re here to partner with you to make them successful,” says Mary Carroll, Multnomah County’s project manager for the Home for Every Veteran campaign. In early June, County Chair Deborah Kafoury and Portland Mayor Charlie Hales signed off on a letter sent to 600 landlords, property owners and managers across the metro region, urging them to consider renting to homeless veterans. With local and federal funding allocated to pay all costs associated with the program, landlords can participate with little financial risk, according to Carroll. Home for Everyone and Home for Every Veteran, local government and nonprofit collaboratives, have “made a commitment to landlords that they will not be left with unpaid expenses,” should they rent to a homeless veteran, says Home for Everyone Director Marc John. But despite veterans’ access to vouchers and funding, finding landlords willing to rent to them has been a challenge, says Multnomah County spokeswoman Jessica Morkert-Shibley. • Navy veteran Shaun Followed, is one o f 10 Street Roots vendors who signed up fo r housing vouchers in May. A ll 10 are still homeless. Followell says he usually sleeps under Tilikum Crossing or along the waterfront so he’s close to Street Roots for early m orning newspaper pickup. He sells in front o f Stumptown Coffee Roasters on Southeast Division Street and 45th Avenue. “We realize that the rental market is really tight, and they pretty much have their pick of the litter when it comes to having a tenant,” she says, “but we are asking them, please, give a shot to homeless veterans.” To date, only about a dozen landlords have expressed interest in the program, says Carroll. Homeless veterans who qualify are able to pay rent with vouchers provided to them through the Veterans Administration, and veterans who don’t qualify for VA benefits are eligible for vouchers through Transition Projects and Home Forward. Funding from the state, Multnomah County and City of Portland cover additional moving costs, such as application fees, security deposits, and even a 24-7 landlord response team should problems arise. There are also funds available to cover any damage incurred to rental units not covered by the security deposit, says Carroll. The county estimates it needs to find housing for two veterans per day moving renting to a typical tenant, who may have forward in order to end homelessness lied on their rental application, have an among veterans by 2016. Jolin says every outdated credit report, or whose ability to year about 690 veterans in the Portland pay rent may change after signing the lease. metro region experience homelessness. She says the program even offered to pay Locally, 300 veterans have been housed the $1,400 a month rent for the three- through the effort to end veteran bedroom condo she had available while she homelessness so far this year, he says. screened potential tenants. She was also While the future of the federal incentive allowed to set her own parameters. She said program is uncertain, Jolin says that locally, she didn’t want a smoker or pet owner. She “We’re trying to build a system that has the rented the unit to a veteran with two young capacity going forward daughters a week and to fulfill the needs of a half ago and says homeless veterans and the process has been Landlords interested in renting to continue to have local smooth. investment” homeless veterans should contact “Right now finding In addition to housing is very hard, Mary Carroll by emailing her at federal and local so if he didn’t work mary.carroll@muitco.us or by funding for rent out,” she says, “I calling 503-988-6796. vouchers, application could put it in the If you are a homeless veteran in and other moving fees, paper and have 200 need of housing, you can get started Portland’s regional people wanting the by going to the VA Community public housing agency, unit.” Resource and Referral Center at 308 Home Forward, has “I would urge any SW First Ave. in Old Town, Portland, prioritized veterans, landlord to at least or by calling 211. committing to renting look at this program,” 50 units located at she says. Carroll says the properties in offices of Hales, Kafoury, City downtown Portland and the Pearl District to Commissioner Dan Saltzman, County homeless veterans when they become Commissioner Jules Bailey and Gresham available. A side effect of this prioritization City Councilor Karylinn Echols are following is that other households that may have been up with large property managers by phone waiting for housing longer may continue to in an effort to find housing for the remaining wait. homeless veterans. 5 Joani Jones, a landlord with property in “We cannot be successful unless private Gresham, has decided to participate in the program. She says it’s less risky than landlords participate,” she says. GET INVOLVED ■ iS i O H P Navigation Clinics in Downtown Portland 12 HOURS C a re O re g o n a n d o u r p a rtn e rs m ake O re g o n H e a lth Plan navig a tion easy! W e o ffe r h e lp w ith : after you quit smoking, carbon monoxide levels in your blood decrease to normal* • M e d ic a id m e d ica l, d e n ta l a n d m e n ta l h e a lth a p p o in tm e n ts • M e d ic a re e lig ib ility fo r d is a b le d a n d e ld e rly a d u lts After a year, your added risk of heart disease is cut in half. Find us at these locations: City Team, 526 SE Grand Ave. P:EAR, 338 NW 6th Ave. J u ly 1 5 ..... .......8-10 a m . J u ly 7.................n o o n -2 p.m. Five years after quitting, your risk of having a stroke is the same as a non-smoker.. J u ly 29..............8-10 a m . Portland Rescue Mission, Clackamas County Community Corrections-Transition Center, J u ly 16..............8-10 a.m. .1024 Main Street 97045 J u ly 23..............8-10 a.m. J u ly 14.............. 1 -3 p.m. J u ly 30.............. 8 - 1 0 a m . 111 W. Burnside ; QUIT SM O KIN G TODAY. CALL: 1.800.OUIT.NOW SMOKEFREE A u g u s t 11...... 1 -3 p.m. Sisters of the Road, 133 NW 6th Folk Time, 4837 NE Couch Street J u ly 10..............5-7 p.m . • J u n e 29............ 1 2 : 3 0 - 4 p.m. J u ly 2 7 ..............1 2 :3 0 -2 :3 0 p.m. q u itn o w .n e t/o re g o n Oregon ■ - Union Gospel Mission, 3 NW Third Ave. Lloyd Center, 2nd Floor by Cinnabon J u ly 8.................11:30 a .m .-1 :3 0 p.m . J u ly 15..............11:3 0 a .m .-1 :3 0 p.m. J u ly 21 ..............2-4 p.m. J u ly 28..............2-4 p.m. J u ly 22..............11:3 0 a .m .-1 :3 0 p.m. J u ly 29..............11:3 0 a .m .-1 :3 0 p.m. C areO regon- goMobileteam Vendors sell Street Roots throughout Portland. If you want to find a vendor near you, call our vendor department at B»_ 503-228-5657_ _ _ _
