Street Roots • May 18-24, 2018
Rural Housing
Page 7
Housing Rural Oregon
The price
to pay?
G E T T Y IM A G E S /IS T O C K P H O T O
Central Oregon's local governments
struggle with whether or not to fu n d
homeless services, while finding ways to
promote affordable housing construction
BY A M A N D A W ALDROUPE
S T A F F W R IT E R
t the southern edge of Bend’s
downtown district, off of busy
Northeast Division Street, lies
Harmony House.
A former nursing facility that closed last
year, Harmony House is made up of a three-
story main building and dozens of detached
cottages that were used as independent living
homes strung along the back of the property.
When the property went up for sale, public
officials and social-service providers thought
it would be the perfect place to create
something in short supply in Central Oregon:
supportive housing for formerly homeless and
low-income people.
But a private developer bought the
property before funding could be secured.
The property now sits vacant and unused.
“It was a big letdown,” said Tom Kemper,
the recently retired executive director of
Housing Works, Central Oregon’s public
housing authority.
The number of homeless people has grown
dramatically in Central Oregon: according to
recently released preliminary results of this
year’s Point in Time Count, there are 787
homeless people living in Deschutes, Crook
and Jefferson counties. That is a 12 percent
increase over last year. The vast majority, 70
percent, camp outside.
The presence of homelessness and the
shortage of affordable housing has forced the
region’s local governments to confront a new
public policy challenge: Should homeless
services be funded with government dollars?
It is one of many questions local government
and public policy officials must confront as
A
Poverty - with a view
--------
Part 5 The price to pay? ---------
Once a rural timber and
agricultural region, Central
Oregon is now beset with a
housing shortage and an
increase in homelessness.
How will the region respond
as it continues to grow?
About this series
This article is part of Street
Roots’ Housing Rural
Oregon series. It is the
fourth in a collection of
stories looking at Central
Oregon. Read previous
articles from the series at
news.streetroots.org/
ruralhousing
the Central Oregon region continues to
respond to its housing crisis.
.W. T erry , the executive director of
Central Oregon Veterans Organization, or
COVO, a social services agency serving
homeless people in Central Oregon, had high
hopes for Harmony House.
The cottages and assisted living apartments
could have been converted into 58 units of
low-income housing. The housing would have
come with supportive services for the
tenants, such as mental health services,
substance abuse counseling, case
management, as well as shower and laundry.
A Mosaic Medical clinic could have been
located on the site.
“We need a campus,” Terry said. “That’s
the bottom line. We need somewhere where
... all the help they need is right there.”
COVO was one of many organizations
interested in collaboratively purchasing the
Harmony House property. The City of Bend’s
Affordable Housing program was willing to
kick in money toward the $1.3 million
purchase, as was Housing Works, Central
Oregon’s public housing authority, and county
government.
It would have been the first time that city
and county government collaborated with
local service agencies to create a service
center for low-income and homeless people in
Central Oregon.
“There’s that desire in the community,
among the county, the city and the private
non-profit levels to do something like that,”
Kathy Skidmore, COVO’s deputy director,
said. “It’s just a matter of money.”
J
To Portlanders, the idea that government
would not fund homeless services might seem
illogical. The city of Portland and Multnomah
County dedicate tens of millions of dollars for
homeless services each year - for eviction
prevention, rent assistance, shelters, and
other services. This year, Portland mayor Ted
Wheeler’s proposed budget includes $31.2
million dollars for the city-county Joint Office
of Homeless Services.
But in Central Oregon - encompassing
Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties -
local government provides very little money
toward homeless and other social services.
Deschutes County allocates some
discretionary funding to specific projects or
programs, and city governments provide
nothing.
There are only two year-round shelters for
homeless adults, the Bethlehem Inn and the
Shepherd’s Door, which, combined, shelter
approximately 100 people a night. There is
also one youth shelter. Churches throughout
Central Oregon provide shelter during the
winter, but that changes year from year.
There are no low-barrier shelters and very
few low-barrier services, which would allow
people with criminal backgrounds and drug
addictions to access services.
In Redmond, Jericho Table is the only
direct social service for homeless people. The
volunteer-run organization feeds a weekly
dinner to around 40 homeless people, has a
weekend “backpack program” for school aged
children that fills a backpack up with dry and
nonperishable foods, and provides rent
assistance payments of up to $200 each
month to low-income families.
See RURAL HOUSING, page 10