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?”