News/Poetry
Street Roots • May 6-12, 2016
Hales pitches program to
divert homeless from courts
BY EMILY GREEN
STAFF WRITER
n an effort to stop the revolving door of
homeless repeat offenders through
Multnomah County’s criminal court
system, local government agencies are
working to establish a resource center
where they can send homeless people who
commit low-level criminal offenses, rather
than sending them to jail.
Portland Mayor Charlie Hales announced
plans for the new program, along with his
proposed budget, at a Monday morning
press conference at City Hall.
The Mayor’s Office is partnering with
Multnomah County, the district attorney’s
office, Portland police and A Home for
Everyone to develop the program to
address the growing livability and low-level
criminal issues resulting from
homelessness, states an outline of the
program’s goals provided to Street Roots
by the Mayor’s Office.
The program, Homeless Engagement
Alternatives Resources and Treatment, or
HEART, will be aimed at reducing costs
associated with arresting and prosecuting
people experiencing homelessness by
engaging with the homeless community,
connecting individuals with resources, and
diverting low-level homeless offenders away
from court by enrolling them in services
and intensive counseling instead. ■
Hales’ proposed budget dedicates $2.3
million toward the program.
This is out of a total of $31.8 million he
has earmarked for affordable housing, low-
income homeownership and rental
programming, and homeless services,
according to the Mayor’s Office. Of that,
$16.2 million will go to homeless services
including outreach, campsite cleanup,
permanent housing placements, veteran
services and shelters.
HEART will be modeled, in part, after
King County’s Law Enforcement Assisted
Diversion, where low-level drug and
prostitution offenders are diverted into
I
community-based treatment and support
services such as housing, health care, job
training, treatment and mental health
support, instead of being booked into jail
and prosecuted.
The Seattle program, however, is almost
entirely grant funded, said Josh Alpert,
Hales’ chief of staff.
Presently, many low-level homeless
offenders are processed through
Multnomah County’s Community Court,
and as Street Roots reported in March,
more than half fail to successfully complete
treatment or community service, which can
result in a criminal conviction or, in some
cases, jail time.
“The consequences for participants in
(HEART’S diversion program) who are
unable to remain engaged in services is
among the things to be discussed, but the
intent of the effort is to do everything we
can to keep people out of the court system
by offering them access to services that
work for them,” said Marc Jolin, initiative
director at A Home For Everyone, in an
email to Street Roots.
While the program’s planning is in its
infancy, officials intend to incorporate harm
reduction philosophies and a recognition of
the homeless community’s needs, while
maintaining accountability, according to the
city’s program outline.
The HEART resource center will be a
place where people experiencing
homelessness can meet with a caseworker
who will assess their needs, connect them
with services, and educate them about the
city’s Safe Sleep Policy and shelter options
in the community.
“The exact cost of the program will
depend on the final concept we land on, but
the intention is to build additional service
system capacity to support the project,
rather than reprogramming services that
are already oversubscribed,” said Jolin.
The program is expected to be up and
running this summer.
Page 11
Mother’s Day
by James. Marsh Jr.
Mother’s Day is not too far away,
this year it’s on the 8th of May
Mother’s Day.
That’s a day we should
all remember. If it wasn’t for our mothers
where would we be?
There would be no sons
or daughters, and
no society
Mother’s Day is a special day, showing
our mothers
how much we care
how much we love them
for always being there
Mothers are special
they always want the best for you
they want the best for you in every way, so
give your mother a
hug and kiss, and
wish her happy Mother’s Day
Portland Commissioner
Amanda Fritz
supports Portlanders
experiencing rent increases
and houselessness.
Vote for Amanda!
www.Amanda2016.com
At Health Share, we
believe good health is
more than what happens
inside your doctor’s office.
Good health starts in your
community and includes
staying active, eating
healthy food and getting
regular check-ups.
Share your healthy habits
with family and friends. We
can all have better health
when we share it together.
Better health
together.
www.healthshareoregon.org