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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2015)
Street Roots • Dec. 18-24, 2015 Editorial Mixed messages muddle positive steps in homeless crisis y now the homeless and housing emergency recognized up and down X— / t h e West Coast has been well documented, with lawmakers and organizations rallying to push major improvements to our homeless programs and housing market The first-ever West Coast Mayors Summit wrapped up in Portland , with an alliance to end homelessness for the tens of thousands of residents who live on the streets among our fair cities. That includes holding federal lawmakers accountable for directing sorely needed resources to local communities struggling with a national issue. Sharing best practices, speaking with a unified voice to Washington, D.C., and trying new approaches are all promising first steps to better solutions. Street Roots is wholeheartedly supportive of this concerted effort. On the streets, however, all of that looks a very long way off. On the streets it is cold,' wet and alienating. On the streets, authorities are still sweeping people from camps. These are two worlds, joined simply by their desire to make it stop, in a sea of mixed messages. On one hand, the city has been working productively with both Right 2 Dream Too, now more than 4 years old and close to securing its own property; and Hazelnut Grove, a homeless encampment creating its own civility near North Greeley Avenue. Both locations have been essentially sanctioned by the city. Meanwhile other camps - and there are many - are targeted for removal by sheriff deputies, neighborhood associations and private interests. In this time of homeless emergencies and calls for bold action, the streets are subjected to the same disruption and displacement we’ve seen ad nauseam. It EDITORIAL promotes suffering and estrangement orf an individual basis, and sets successful camps up for failure under the crush of newly displaced arrivals. County officers have been clearing out camps from under bridges, using the prison inmate crew to do the job. (Somewhere in that misguided arrangement, there’s a commentary on preserving a seamless line between the poor and the persecuted.) And just last week, city employees cleaned the sidewalks around the S t Francis Dining Hall, a haven among the homeless community for providing security, rest and regular meals. To the city’s credit, this was not billed as an official sweep, in that it barred people from returning. It was a routine cleaning, requiring no formal notice and people were allowed to return. However, doing such an action, on short notice, in the middle of a string of heavy rains, is rotten timing. When the health and welfare of people is literally hanging in the balance, the system has to bend toward common sense. The city is working to streamline its system among bureaus to create a consistent * response that all parties - including people who are experiencing homelessness — understand. That means police, park rangers, security officers and other enforcers are on the same page. The city has also pledged not to conduct formal sweeps of camps when it cannot, with any confidence, tell people where they can go. These are beneficial steps, but the city is only one of many players in this process, and it will take the larger community to get on board. Whether it’s in East County or the city’s central core, we cannot successfully get people off the streets while continuing to push them to the edge. Policy and practices are one thing, compassion is something else entirely. It will take both to move closer to a solution. It may be raining, but SR vendors are shining bright believe in you and the people of Portland. ith the holidays upon us, it has not Here some ways you can help Street Roots been an easy month for Street Roots this holiday season, especially during this wet vendors. Record-breaking rainfall have all but stopped sales of the newspaper and miserable rainy season. on a couple of days and that never happens. First and foremost, stop by and give your It’s a bummer because December is typically favorite vendor some love. If you don’t know the vendors best sales month. Readers and the vendor, let them know you’re a Street supporters have Roots reader and how much you appreciate responded with great vendors in the community. Being able to care and love. It’s much communicate that you care goes a long way. DIRECTOR'S appreciated. Many vendors are reporting that readers We are coming up on have given them holiday cards, some great .DESS our first anniversary of a tips and other random acts of kindness. By Israel Bayer weekly publication. Thank you! Vendor sales overall have You can ¿Iso give a donation to Street 'increased, while Roots at streetroots.org or at the Willamette supporting more people Week Give!Guide, giveguide.org. Sign up to than ever with an opportunity to gain an give a small donation monthly and become a immediate income. Our journalism continues recurring donor with Street Roots. It goes a to be some of the best in the city and our long way. Your support matters. Really, it advocacy is having a real impact on both does. public policy and the lives of people Your support today of Street Roots will experiencing homelessness and poverty. We ensure that we are able to publish 52 editions are a little train carrying a heavy load. of Street Roots in the coming year and give We can’t do it without you! Everything we vendors a real source of income in 2016. do at Street Roots is through the lens of love That’s amazing. Thank you, and happy and nonviolence. It’s not easy work. We know holidays! many of you believe in us as much as we a Israel Bayer is the executive director o f Street Roots. You can reach h im a t israel@streetroots.org or follow h im on Tw itter @israelbayer. Page 3 Write in to have something - ' jj / that you've '11 | written published \ —A \ \ / in our pages, or would 1 like to get involved as a . member of our reporting staff, \ J contact Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl at 503-228-5657, joanne@sireetroots.org. We ask that all submissions include the author’s name and contact information, if available. Street Roots 211 NW Davis St, ■ ■ * Portland, OR 97209 i - ' 503-228-5657 Fax:503-227-3117 www.streeiroots.org ; www.news.streetroots.org Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. and 7:30-11 a.m. Sun. I Advertising Interested in advertising in Street Roots? •; Contact Israel Bayer at israel@streetroots.org S ta ff Executive Director Israel Bayer israe1@streetreots.org Manning Editor Joanne Zuhl ; , joanne@streetroots.org Vender Coordinator Co ie . M erkel - cole@streetroots.org . Operations Director Sarah Beecroft Development Director Sarah Cloud Program Assistant Scott Jackson, Jesuit Volunteer Development A s s is ta n t 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 Shyrbck, 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.
