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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2018)
oireei Hoots • Dec. 7-13, 2018 Community Page 7 BY HELEN HILL S T A F F W R IT E R n the 2017 Multnomah County “Point In Time” homeless count, 1,355 adult women were identified as homeless, making up 36 percent of the total homeless population. This was up more than 16 percent from the 1,161 women counted in ■ 2015, and more than doublé the 662 womén counted in 2009. What is it like for the growing numbers of women who are experiencing homelessness? We asked five of our vendors to talk about , PHO TO BY HELEN HILL Street Roots vendor A m y Türco at her camp under the Morrison Bridge. what women living on the streets experience. Amy is currently living underneath the Morrison Bridge with hér boyfriend Sean. Olivia (not her real name) is single and sleeps under the Burnside Bridge. Àileen has just moved to Dignity Village with her husband Charles. Jay is single, transgender, and in a temporary shelter. Barbra lives in a small tent community within the downtown core. twice during the night, they were sincerely “I have had forced moves, gunshots in the concerned for our safety, they woke up the middle .of the night, flashing lights, but I ’ve Amy people behind us to make sure they were OK always had Charles with me,” she said. “It’s t’s a chilly evening in late November. A 7 too.” | b onepf tho&d things even if you don’t camp, I freight tó jp sh ríek s past, the eansplítiíng together as a camp family; youcam p together róar échóes through the tunnel of concrete in num bers for safety. You need to get to Qlivia piers ijnder the east end of the Morrison where you can trust people. Bridge. Bright lights high overhead stay on livia is small in stature but strong, self- “I’ve seen women spread their sleeping through the night, illuminating a changing sufficient and confident. She’s been bags out alone, As for the safety, honestly, I community of people who shelter here. There staying on her own under the Burnside don’t think it’s any different male or female, is a roaming colony of rats. When it rains, a Bridge. She is acutely aware of the sexism on because the older you are, you are just as fast creek runs down ditches on either side of the street and the challenging situations vulnerable as any female. the rough-tiled pavement where sleeping bags women face. “But just being a female, people will take are laid out for the night. “The biggest misconception is that it’s advantage of you, if you look weak and Amy has slept under the Morrison Bridge easier for a woman bn the street, because vulnerable, someone will take advantage of with her boyfriend and fellow Street Roots people think you can get stuff for free. And you. vendor Sean Sheffield for nearly three years. they think you can get into shelters easier, “You can cast that very strong don’t-f*ck- She transcends cultural assumptions of the but it’s not true,” she said. with-me look. You can get training. My “Guys Say you don’t have to be on the homeless. She has never taken drugs or brother was military. He wanted to teach me alcohol. She was recently appointed shift streets, someone will take you home. Takes a self-defense, so he put me in a couple supervisor at her regular job at the Portland man to let you know: Hey, you can just be a different holds. He didn’t expect me to grab, Airport Starbucks. She is open-hearted, prostitute, you don’t have to be homeless. his ears and say ‘meet the knee,’ but that was cheerful and hardworking. She says she was Not every girl is a prostitute just because my instinct when he put me in the hold. He worried at first about living under the bridge, she’s homeless. , was thrilled with it, but he said, ‘if that’s your “I thought I would freeze to death,” but now “I am constantly harassed every day. Guys instinct, I don’t need to teach you.’ she is used to it and doesn’t feel the cold or don’t leave you alone. ‘Hey beautiful, hey “I’m defending my life, I am the only one the rain that sprays them “like spritz on a girl.’ Do they think girls really like that? My who has the rightto say when my life, ends. I ship” when the wind blows. Every other week first name isn’t ‘hey,’ my last name isn’t ‘girl.’ use; a power stance when I need to, you can they look forward to taking h er paycheck and “Everyone knows me, it’s a small town, bring yourself that strength. this homeless community. I make sure I keep staying in a motel for several nights. “I’m always watching, there are so many Amy doesn’t feel safe without Seannearby. a good reputation, I don’t do drugs, I won’t things to watch.” “I think It’s harder for women on the street,* go where they are partying too much. But it’s she said! "Whenever Sean has to sell j(Street the same bothering at night as you get in the Roots) after darle, I don’t like it. I’m always daytime. Jay “Men always say it’s easier for women to looking behind me and 360 degrees around ay is a gifted artist. He identifies as both me. We all look out for each other, we walk get housing. Other vendors think I can sell male and non-binary. He lives in a by and say ‘Hey, are you OK? Are you feeling more papers because I’m a girl. But it’s not temporary shelter. fun being treated like a prostitute every day threatened?’ I'am a little suspicious when “As a person with a woman’s body, I think guys say that, but with a female, it feels good or being afraid at night, it’s definitely not mate-identified people have more options,” he that we are looking out for each other.” easier.” said. “There are more shelter and housing Portland police offer welcome protection, options for single males than for single she said. On Nov. 20, there were two women or single transgender or non-binary Aileen homicides in a homeless camp on the west people. A ileen is a streetwise artist, seamstress side of the Morrison Bridge. “There were “I am more likely to have predators target I x a n d poet. She and her husband, Charles,, those two shootings, but thé policé came to me, or bullies target me, they view me as a have camped in a tent and lived in a camper. check on us,” she said. “I thought that was weak woman, small, frail. I am more likely to They recently returned to Dignity Village really cool of them to do that. They woke us have guys proposition me, like they say they up and asked us how we were doing, they told after the city repeatedly ticketed,and will let me stay with them if I will be their threatened to tow their camper. us there were two homicides, and they did it I Homeless in a woman’s body Five vendors talk about life on the streets I O B girlfriend. I don’t think homeless men have to deal with that situation. | “You are between a rock and a hard place. " You don’t want to live in a shelter, but you also don’t want to sell your body for housing either, which is what a lot of guys offer. You get to where you just don’t want to talk to any guys at all, it seems like just predators approaching. “I think homeless men also get assaulted, but as someone in a woman’s body, I am more likely to end up dead or be sexually assaulted.” Barbra arbra had a successful professional career as a market researcher. Her career ended when she became disabled in 2010 due to a brain lesion. She became homeless a few years later. She describes herself as “a miracle walking.” Barbra is an effective activist, serving on committees at Sistersof The Road and with the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association. She was recently chosen as an advisor’to a”teaih of OHSU d o cto rs w h o are » < creatin g a syllab u s t o in v e s t i g a t e a n d s e r v e the homeless. She also volunteers for the Metro Trash. Initiative, brainstdrming strategies to help people experiencing homelessness dispose of trash and recycling. She lives with her boyfriend in a:tent community of 12. “I’ve always been with a man,” she said. “You have all these dangers, you have people who will kill you for your money, your backpack - even if they don’t know what’s in i t When you have a male partner, your chances of that are hot as much. Maybe you have a dangerous boyfriend who will beat you and do bad things to you but they aren’t going to take your livelihood, they won’t take your wallet and your phone, So you make a decision; as long as I don’t do this, this won’t happen, as long as I don’t drink, this guy won’t beat me, so I’m safe through all these things. No one Will beat me up or rape me or steal from me because I have someone there with me all the time. . “You talk to women on the streets, they will tell you, ‘I was raped.’ ‘My babies were taken,’ and that’s the reality of it. You have to pick the best out of the worst. I don’t think anyone understands. I have a lot of respect for the women who sleep alone, I couldn’t do it.” Her advice to other Women on the streets: “Trust your instinct If you have fear, there is a reason it is there. Trust the gut, don’t trust your brain or heart. If your gut says don’t walk down that street, don’t trust that man, listen to i t ” “There are more and more of us coming out,” Barbra said. “We can’t stop it, I would like to think we would all band together and keep each other safe. I don’t want women out there alone, how vulnerable do we need to be?”
