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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 2015)
Street Roots • Dec. 11-17, 2015 Page 3 Editorial I Write in I If you would like to have something that you’ve ... ' in our pages, or would la s a 503-228-5657, joanne@sireetroots.org. i We ask that all submissions include the author’s name and contact information, if available. ? j » A " " s ' , Street Roots ' ~ a M M M 211 NW Daws S t Portland, OR 97209 • 503-228-5657 Fax:503-227-3117 • -, www.streetroots.org ’ ' www.news.streetroots.org Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon,-Fri,, 7:30 am.-2 p.m., Sat. and 7:30-11 a.m. Sun. PHOTO BY ISRAEL BAYER Together, local and federal leadership can end crisis omelessness is hell, especially during the winter months. H /This past week, during one of the downpours, I witnessed a homeless woman so soaked to the bone that she simply sat down i»- th e m iddle of th e sidewalk, took off all her Israel B ayer is the executive director o f Street Roots. You pan reach him, a t israel@streetroots.org or follow h im on Tw itter @israelbayer. meeting. The optimist in me thinks that if these mayors really do have some skin in Hie game, they have a chance to change the course of history. O n it§ face, One city declaring a hormelesá e m e r g e n c y is j u s t a d r o p in th e bucket. Having multiple citiés declare a homeless emergency clothes and said, “I give begins to create a ripple effect regionally. If even ■ ■ i — m m up. God, please take me.” more cities around the country, say dozens, It was a sad affair. declare emergencies, than you’re talking about D IR E C T O R S As I called for help, creating an effort so forceful that the federal D E S S people “w alked by, some governlhent has to respond. making snide comments, Let’s be clear, friends, there is an emergency. By Israel Bayer others with horrified Don’t let anyone tell you that there’s n o t From m m looks on their faces the rich to the poor and everyone in between we having witnessed such can see with our own two ears the human human suffering. suffering occurring on our streets. We’re going Sadly, I don’t know what happened to her. I on 30 plus years of modern-day homelessness. assume she got help, I hope she did. It has During that time, thousands of people have died haunted me all week. I should have done more. I on Portland’s streets alone. More than you can tell myself I did the right thing by calling first imagine. responders. She is one of many people that Saying that, the homeless crisis in American is haunt me. manmade. It’s the result of billions of federal What has become normal for me, and others dollars of disinvestment in social services and living and working on the front lines of poverty, public housing over the past three decades. The isn’t normal for the rest of society. Nor should it problem can be solved. In fact, history tells us be. We shouldn’t be responding to small children that such monumental problems in the past have living on the streets, or an elderly person who been overcome. It’s the very reason we have can barely walk sleeping on concrete. Throw in a things like Social Security, the GLBill, Medicaid cold spell and lots of rain and it’s more or less a and healthcare reform, to name a few. living hell for many. People get sick and some It’s my opinion that advocates like myself and will die. That’s the harsh reality. organizations like Street Roots can have a real It’s one of the many reasons I fully support impact on local policies and moving the issue of our local governments’ efforts to declare a homelessness and housing forward locally and homeless emergency. There’s a lot that can be statewide. Federally, it’s a whole other ball game. done, including creating more shelter space for It’s where we’ve been stuck. our most vulnerable residents, setting aside How do we build a national movement? It’s space for tent cities, and investing in more been a question that’s gone unanswered for housing citywide. three decades. Who would have thought that This week, Mayor Charlie Hales will be mayors up and down the West Coast would have hosting mayors from San Francisco, Los Angeles, the potential to seize the moment and create a Seattle and Eugene. The goal is to share ideas on national movement? Let’s hope the mayors what can be done around the issue of • understand their own importance in the course homelessness and housing, along with trying to of history. Let’s also hope the federal leverage more federal support for the issue. government is listening. Millions of Americans The cynic in me thinks it’s probably nothing are depending on it. more than a feel good exercise to share ideas, and that nothing concrete will come from the Interested in advertising in Street Roots? Contact Israel Bayer at israel@streetroots.org Staff Executive Director Israel Bayer Managing Editor Jeanne Z u lf e A ' - ' joanne@streetroots.org \ ' - '• Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel cole@streetroots.org Operations Director Sarah Beecroft Development D irector Sarah Cloud Program Assistant Scott Jackson, Jesuit Volunteer Development Assistant Ann-Derrick Gaillot' Reporters Emily Green, Sue Zalokar, Ann-Derrick Gaillot, Sarah Hansell, Lenora Ko, Sam Bouman, Jared Paben Photographers Diego Diaz, Joe Glode Canvasser Desmond Hardison Board of Directors Chairman Bruce Anderson Vice-Chairman Brad Taylor Treasurer Heather Stadick Secretary Amber Bielman Directors Rich Rodgers, Michael Anderson, Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander, Eddie. Barbosa, Rachel Langford, Marcus Swift Volunteers Jan Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Brian Ritchie, Anders Frederickson, Stephanie Holum, Anjali Rathore, Sam Bouman, Joanna Chase, Zoe Klingmann, Haven Herrin, Eliese Baker, Dan Jones, Rob Shyrock, Tom Ray, Doug Spangle, Susannah Kamala, Jessica Pollard, Lee Ko, Diana Richardson, Cherie Manning, Thomas Buell Jr. If you are interested in volunteering with Street Roots, please submit a volunteer application at streetroots.org/volunteer. Or call our volunteer coordinator for more information at 503-228-5657.
