Street roots., December 18, 2015, Page 7, Image 7

Street Roots • Dec. 18-24, 2015
News
Page 7
Local landlords open doors to veterans
Portland to exceed goal fo r housing veterans by year’s end,
but some veterans will remain homeless
BY EMILY GREEN
apartments due to spotty rental histories,
bad-credit or other barriers.
In response, County Chair Deborah
undreds of letters and phone calls to
Kafoury and Portland Mayor Charlie Hales
Portland-area landlords paid off. It’s
signed a letter sent to 600 landlords,
expected Multnomah County will
exceed the target set for ending veteran property owners and managers across the
metro region, urging them to consider
homelessness locally by the end of the year.
renting to homeless veterans.
Contrary to the campaign’s title - A
City and County officials’ offices followed
Home for Every Veteran - the goal set was
up
with phone calls shortly after.
to house a specific number of veterans -
“That sealed the deal,” said Carroll. “We
690. That was the estimated number of
had over 250 units referred to us from that
veterans who would experience
time, and the majority were private
homelessness during the year based on
landlords.”
calculations made from the county’s 2015
She said since the letter was sent in
Point-In-Time Count in January. It turns out,
June, more than 60 veterans have found
however, that number fell short of the
housing each month. As of the end of
actual number of homeless veterans.
November, 631 veterans had been housed,
Tony Bernal at Transition Projects said
meaning if the trend continues, the goal of
his agency is currently aware of 290
housing 690 by Dec. 31 will be reached, if
veterans who are still seeking housing. He
not exceeded.
said 140 are in shelters* and 150 are
Eugene is also likely to meet its goal as
sleeping outside.
well, said Tod Schneider, who led a similar
While 260 of them already have housing
campaign down south.
vouchers from the Veterans’ Administration,
He said 300 of the 365 veterans Lane
they haven’t yet been able to secure
County and Eugene set as a target were
housing in Portland’s competitive rental
housed by the end of October.
market.
“Does that mean we’ve ended veterans
Many of them will still be homeless at
homelessness?” said Carroll. “We can say
the start of 2016, said Mary Carroll, A
we ended veteran homelessness when we
Home for Every Veteran project manager
have housed those veterans, and also when
for the county.
we’ve created a system in Portland and
Home Forward pledged 50 vouchers to
Multnomah County that when a veteran g
homeless veterans who don’tqualify for
becomes homeless, his Homelessness is .
veteran’s benefits, and has received 51
brief, rare and one time only.”
referrals to ensure all vouchers get used,
She said with the system that’s in place
said the public housing authority’s director,
right now, it’s taking an average of 81 days
Shelley Marchesi.
to identify and house a homeless veteran.
So far, nine have found housing. She said
The national goal is 90 days.
20 are still looking, and 22 who have been
“That’s amazing in this market,” Carroll
referred more recently are still waiting on
said. J
Of Street Roots vendors who signed up
vouchers. Veterans have 120 days to use
for housing through the veterans’ program
the voucher.
in May, three found housing, although one
As Street Roots reported in July, officials
is homeless again, and five are still waiting
feared their goal of housing 690 hoineless
on housing - including Navy veteran Shaun
veterans was out of reach when many
Followell, who was featured in Street Roots’
veterans found that even with government
previous coverage of A Home for Every
funds paying their rent and moving
Veteran. -
expenses, they couldn’t get approved for
STAFF W RITER
H
PHOTO BY ISRAEL BAYER
Street Roots vendor Sandra Hahn, at left, accepted the 2015 Emily G: Gottfried Award
this week from the Portland H um an Rights Commission. Street Roots was given the
award for its work to ensure hum an rights in the Portland region. Above, H ahn is
pictured standing with Chabre Vickers, Chair o f the H um an Rights Commission.
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