Keizertimes., March 20, 2020, Page 7, Image 7

MARCH 20, 2020, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A7
How we let homelessness
become a nationwide crisis
hospitals, he said, “A lot of
By CASEY CHAFFIN
those people went outside and
For the Keizertimes
Before becoming director stayed outside and never went
of the Mid-Willamette Valley back.”
For the following genera-
Community Action Agency
(MWVCAA), Jimmy Jones tions of people struggling with
taught Western Civilization mental health, services didn’t
as a professor. When asked to materialize, either. In Oregon,
explain the crisis of homeless- an underfunded and under-
ness in Salem, he reverts to his served youth mental health
background in history and so- care system allows mental ill-
ness to reach crisis levels in
ciology.
Starting around the 1980s, adulthood. Some of them end
he explained, the federal gov- up homeless, too.
Even for physically
ernment cut fund-
and mentally healthy
ing to social ser-
individuals, the risk of
vices,
expecting
homelessness
looms.
state and local gov-
For lower income in-
ernments to pick up
dividuals throughout
the slack. In many
the U.S., the cost of liv-
places, state and lo-
ing has increased fast-
cal governments ei-
er than wages. Federal
ther couldn’t afford
data shows that 39 per-
it or wouldn’t pri-
J. Jones
cent of American adults
oritize it.
would struggle to deal
“So the great-
est irony is the problem was with an unexpected $400 ex-
government generated,” Jones pense.
In Marion County, the lack
said. And, he added, “It’s gov-
of affordable housing is a con-
ernment perpetuated.”
The system as a whole is stant refrain.
According to Housing and
underfunded. But social ser-
vices funding, when it arises, Urban Development (HUD),
often has restrictions, which fair market rent in the Salem
may or may not be informed area for this year is $761 a
by the realities of homeless- month for a one bedroom.
An unscientifi c search of
ness. This makes it diffi cult
for those in homeless services websites like Zillow, Trulia,
to serve individuals with the and Apartments.com - the
same kind of search someone
most acute needs.
Homeless families and vet- looking for housing might
erans often receive more state do - turns up only a handful
funding, even though they’re of apartments at or below fair
on the low to moderate end of market rent. Often, the search
need and aren’t as often chron- fi lter for “income restricted”
or “low income” turns up zero
ically homeless, Jones said.
Another signifi cant point results.
Fallyn McCarty, who works
in the timeline, he said, is the
state
deinstitutionalization directly with homeless indi-
of mental health care in the viduals in her outreach work
1960s. State funded institu- for the HIV Alliance, sees a lot
tions weren’t replaced by in- of older adults without shel-
creased local mental health ter for reasons of affordability.
infrastructure. People who One man in his 70s, she said,
struggled with mental illness “gets $600 a month for Social
weren’t moved into new ser- Security. What can you buy?
vices. They were left without Where can you live?”
“So he sleeps on a park
services.
For those who lived in state bench.”
The staff at ARCHES, a
local homeless services agen-
cy, complicates the picture
of housing affordability and
availability further. Their agen-
cy works alongside the Salem
Housing Authority to fi nd
apartments and provide rental
assistance for homeless indi-
viduals through the Homeless
Rental Assistance Program
(HRAP). Even if they can fi nd
a unit with a reasonable rent,
there are other roadblocks to
placing people in housing.
“It’s the right kind of hous-
ing for the person - that’s what
we don’t have enough of,”
Ashley Hamilton, ARCHES’
program director, said. “It
could be an elderly individual
of limited mobility. How many
fi rst fl oor bedroom units are
there that are ADA accessible
internally and externally” as
well as affordable?
Another wrinkle: Is the
apartment eligible for Section
8 vouchers for low income in-
dividuals, which HRAP tries
to transition their clients to
after a year or two?
And another still: Will the
landlord work with someone
with poor credit, a criminal
record or an addiction?
The answer, often, is no,
shutting out a sizable portion
of people who are currently
homeless or tottering on the
edge of homelessness.
“I think it has been a total
collapse at all levels that has led
us to this particular moment,”
Jones said. “And since nobody
wants to blame themselves, ev-
erybody struggles to see that.”
Instead, he said, the blame
shifts to those who are home-
less, for making bad choices or
for choosing to be homeless.
“If you’re going to start
blaming the homeless for their
condition,” he said, “we’re not
going to make any progress
because you’re looking in the
wrong direction.”
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Lack of shelter makes
solvable problems
nearly insurmountable
as it was in Pritchard’s case.
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Even though Pritchard did not die of ex-
Of the Keizertimes
One of the horrors of 52-year-old Sharon posure, her fate is not out of line with the
Rene Pritchard’s death last month is that it patterns that have been studied, according to
Hamilton.
was entirely predictable.
“When you are homeless, you cannot meet
There’s even something like a formula for
calculating it, tri-morbid homelessness. If a your basic needs, you aren’t eating, you aren’t
shelterless person is dealing with physical ail- showering, you aren’t sleeping – that’s a huge
ments on top of mental health diagnoses cou- one – and you are not able to access the ser-
pled with a substance abuse problem, research vices you need to have better health,” she said.
The stresses of living with-
suggests they will die on the
out consistent shelter also ages
streets around age 52.
people more quickly.
As far as her family knew,
“Someone who has been
Sharon was in decent physi-
on the streets for 10 years,
cal shape, but that was nearly
might have aged 20 or 30
three years ago. And Sharon
years,” Hamilton said.
had been seeking relief from
Unfortunately, fatalities as a
mental health problems in the
result of tri-morbidity are also
bottom of a bottle for at least
hard to track when people fall
the past decade.
out of touch with support ser-
Ashley Hamilton, program
vices such as ARCHES.
manager for the Mid-Willa-
“Anecdotally, we probably
mette Valley Community Ac-
have fi ve cases like this per
tion Agency’s ARCHES Proj-
year and they’re devastating
ect, said it is diffi cult to speak
each and every time. It hurts
about specifi c cases without a
because they were on our ra-
full medical history, but that
dar and then they disappeared.
Salem-Keizer’s
chronically
The next time we hear about
homeless population “experi-
— Ashley Hamilton them is in the news when
ence tri-morbidity almost 100
ARCHES program someone gets hit by a car or
percent of the time, and all of
manager dies of hypothermia,” Hamil-
the people in our homeless
ton said.
rental assistance program have
It’s also going to keep hap-
experienced tri-morbidity.”
Someone is tagged as chronically homeless pening until area offi cials commit to a solu-
if they have lived without shelter for more tion that goes beyond shuffl ing people from
than 12 months or their episodes of home- one public space to another. Less than a
lessness outweigh the times when they have month after Pritchard died, another 44-year-
old homeless man walking his bike in south
shelter.
The only proven way to move someone Salem was struck and killed by a driver reach-
out of the tri-morbid designation is get them ing for a fallen cell phone.
“This is just going to keep happening un-
into safe, consistent shelter, Hamilton said.
“Housing is the fi rst line of defense, people til we can fi nd adequate housing solutions
can have a place to live and survive the physi- for everyone. It can be rental assistance, tran-
cal, mental and substance abuse problems,” she sitional housing, adequate shelter capacity or
anything that gets the fi rst brick in the wall,”
said.
Without housing, the outcome can be fatal, she said.
“Anecdotally,
we probably
have fi ve
cases like
this per year
and they’re
devastating
each and
every time. ”
public notices
NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS
In the Matter of the Estate
of Robyn Wellman
Marion County Circuit
Court Case No. 20PB01318
All persons having claims
against the above-identifi ed
estate must present them,
within four months after the
date of the fi rst publication
of the notice to the personal
representative at the address
designated in the notice for
the presentation of claims or
they may be barred.
Tristan Wellman,
Personal Representative
c/o Sam Sears
570 Liberty St. SE,
Suite 240
Salem, Oregon 97301
All persons whose rights
may be affected by the
proceeding
may
obtain
additional information from
the records of the court, the
personal representative, or
the attorney for the personal
representative.
This notice was fi rst
published on March 20, 2020.
3/20, 3/27, 4/3
NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS
NOTICE TO
INTERESTED PERSONS
In the Circuit Court of the
State of Oregon
for the County of Marion
Case No. 20PB01794
In the Matter of the
Estate of Sharon Gienger,
Deceased.
Notice is hereby given
that Sharon Gienger died
January 23, 2020, and that
by order of the above entitled
Court, the undersigned has
been appointed Personal
Representative.
All persons having claims
against the Estate are
required to present them to
the Personal Representative
at 693 Chemeketa Street NE,
Post Offi ce Box 2247, Salem,
Oregon 97308-2247, within
four months after the date of
fi rst publication of this notice
or said claims may be barred.
All persons whose rights
may be affected by this
proceeding
are
advised
that additional information
may be obtained from the
records of the Court, the
Personal Representative, or
the attorneys for the Personal
Representative.
Rebecca James
Personal Representative
Sherman, Sherman, Johnnie
& Hoyt, LLP
Attorneys for Personal
Representative
693 Chemeketa Street
Post Offi ce Box 2247
Salem, Oregon 97308-2247
Date of fi rst publication:
March 20, 2020.
Second
and
third
publication: March 27, 2020
and April 3, 2020.
3/20, 3/27, 4/3
NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS
NOTICE TO
INTERESTED PERSONS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
that SARAH J. SPRAUER has
been appointed Personal
Representative
of
the
ESTATE OF PATRICIA C.
BATHKE, deceased, by the
Circuit Court of the State of
Oregon for Marion County
under Case No. 20PB01808.
All persons having claims
against the estate are
required to present them, with
vouchers attached, to the
said Personal Representative
at Stayton Law, PO Box 248,
Stayton, OR 97383, within
four months after the date of
fi rst publication of this notice,
or the claims may be barred.
All persons whose rights
may be affected by the
proceedings may obtain
additional information from
the records of the court, the
Personal Representative, or
the attorney for the Personal
Representative.
Dated and fi rst published
March 20, 2020.
Personal Representative:
Sarah J. Sprauer
1538 Westfi eld Pl
Stayton, OR 97383
Attorney for Personal
Representative:
Jennifer L. Tiger,
OSB#990890
Stayton Law
PO Box 248
Stayton, Oregon 97383
3/20, 3/27, 4/3
NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS
NOTICE TO
INTERESTED PERSONS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
that SARAH J. SPRAUER has
been appointed Personal
Representative
of
the
ESTATE OF PEGGY ELLEN
FOURNIER, deceased, by
the Circuit Court of the State
of Oregon for Marion County
under Case No. 20PB01807.
All persons having claims
against the estate are
required to present them, with
vouchers attached, to the
said Personal Representative
at Stayton Law, PO Box 248,
Stayton, OR 97383, within
four months after the date of
fi rst publication of this notice,
or the claims may be barred.
All persons whose rights
may be affected by the
proceedings may obtain
additional information from
the records of the court, the
Personal Representative, or
the attorney for the Personal
Representative.
Dated and fi rst published
March 20, 2020.
Personal Representative:
Sarah J. Sprauer
1538 Westfi eld Pl
Stayton, OR 97383
Attorney for Personal
Representative:
Jennifer L. Tiger,
OSB#990890
Stayton Law
PO Box 248
Stayton, Oregon 97383
3/20, 3/27, 4/3
NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS
NOTICE TO
INTERESTED PERSONS
In the Circuit Court of the
State of Oregon
for the County of Marion
Case No. 20PB01873
In the Matter of the Estate
of Douglas B. Arensmeier,
Deceased.
Notice is hereby given that
Douglas B. Arensmeier died
January 14, 2020, and that
by order of the above entitled
Court, the undersigned has
been appointed Personal
Representative.
All persons having claims
against the Estate are
required to present them to
the Personal Representative
at 693 Chemeketa Street NE,
Post Offi ce Box 2247, Salem,
Oregon 97308-2247, within
four months after the date of
fi rst publication of this notice
or said claims may be barred.
All persons whose rights
may be affected by this
proceeding
are
advised
that additional information
may be obtained from the
records of the Court, the
Personal Representative, or
the attorneys for the Personal
Representative.
Gayle A. Arensmeier
Personal Representative
Sherman, Sherman, Johnnie
& Hoyt, LLP
Attorneys for Personal
Representative
693 Chemeketa Street
Post Offi ce Box 2247
Salem, Oregon 97308-2247
Date of fi rst publication:
March 20, 2020.
Second
and
third
publication: March 27, 2020
and April 3, 2020.
3/20, 3/27, 4/3