PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, AUGUST 21, 2020
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UNEMPLOY: ‘It would take $6.3
million to meet 30% of the need’
(Continued from Page A1)
out and asked if we needed
groceries or anything at all,” she
said.
She was also moved
through the rigamarole of
unemployment claims relatively
smoothly.
“It was confusing fi ling
at fi rst, but [the check] came
about a month later. It wasn’t
much of a delay,” she said.
As the employment picture
throughout
the
United
States continues to evolve, a
Washington, D.C.-based data
fi rm is trying to provide a clearer
picture of what is happening
right down to neighborhoods.
For the average Keizerite,
the picture it presents could be
eye-popping. (See map on Page
A1.)
According to data provided
by Catalyst, unemployment
is likely highest (16%)
south of Glynbrook Street
and
Candlewood
Drive.
Unemployment is estimated at
14% in southeast Keizer, east
of River Road North between
Dearborn Avenue Northeast
Candlewood Drive and the
Salem-Keizer Parkway.
In the area bordered by the
Willamette River to the west,
River Road North to the east,
the Staats Lake neighborhood to
the north and Chemawa Road
to the south unemployment is
estimated to be 13%.
Data for the Palma Ciea,
Gubser, Hidden Creek and the
Meadows neighborhoods are
roughly 8-9%.
Using Census estimates
for the number of women in
a given tract, the number of
Black residents and the number
of residents who work in food
service, Catalyst is trying to
estimate how unemployment
is
affecting
communities
throughout the nation. With
those datapoints as a backdrop,
researchers created an educated
guess as to how many Black
female food services workers
live in each neighborhood
and matched it with national
employment statistics and
demographics
to
build
neighborhood impact maps.
Catalyst warns however,
that its information should be
viewed in conjunction with
other data as the economic
picture evolves.
The most recent local data
from the Oregon Employment
Department estimated the
Salem area’s unemployment rate
was 10.3%, down from 13% in
May. Statewide unemployment
was 11.2%.
Amid the turmoil, the Mid-
Willamette Valley Community
Action
Agency
(CAA)
established programs to help
families whose employment has
been affected by COVID-19.
Between state and federal
money put into the program,
CAA has $5.2 million to
support families struggling to
pay rent. More than $1.5 million
has already been disbursed since
the program’s inception in June,
but only 43 Keizer families of
289 total have tapped into the
program. CAA typically only
provides rent assistance services
in rural areas, but the pandemic
funds are open to anyone in the
CAA’s coverage area, which
includes Marion and Polk
counties.
In some ways, that’s
not surprising, said Ashley
Hamilton, program director
at CAA. The need is so great
at the moment that it can be
diffi cult to know where to turn,
she said.
“We ran a homelessness
prevention tool using local
unemployment fi gures for
March. Just for March, we
estimated it would take $6.3
million to meet 30% of the
need,” she said. “And we know
claims went up in April and up
again in May before leveling
out in June.”
The money can only be
used for rent expenses – not
mortgages – and households
must to fall below certain
income levels depending on the
size of the household.
Aside
from
those
requirements,
there
are
relatively few strings attached
to the support. Those living in
manufactured homes can lean
on the program to pay for their
space rents. Even citizenship is
not a requirement.
With federal unemployment
assistance drying up, Hamilton
urged those in need not to
wait until they fall further in
arrears to their landlords. Those
interested in applying for rental
assistance should contact the
ARCHES Project directly
by calling 503-399-9080, ext.
4003. CAA hired 18 people and
formed a call center dedicated
to disbursing the funds.
“We can help you catch up
all the way, but we also have a
housing stabilization package
that we can use to frontload
your account with additional
months of rent moving
forward,” she said.
Separate
programs
are
available for those having
trouble meeting energy bills.
Call Energy Services directly
at 503-588-9016 to access that
support.
To reach deeper into
individual communities, CAA
is partnering with a variety of
other support services they call
“micro” community leaders.
The United Way, Mano A
Mano, Family Building Blocks
and Island Boy Camp are a few
of the community partners.
As someone who works
in poverty services and
outreach, Hamilton said the
pandemic has given new
meaning to something that
once sounded like a sales pitch:
that many in our community
are one paycheck away from
homelessness. “We suddenly
had all this emerging need
and people who had diffi culty
asking for help or not knowing
where to turn to fi nd it. We had
to ask ourselves if our support
net was strong enough and how
we could be more supportive in
this space with an added layer
of fear,” she said.
Dr. Jones at Oregon Garden cruise-in
The Oregon Garden pres-
ents Cruise-In Cinema: Indiana
Jones and the Raiders of the Lost
Ark, Thursday, August 27. The
gates open at 6:30 p.m. and
the movie will begin at dusk
(9:15ish). Sound is delivered
by FM radio.
All attendees must pur-
chase their admission tickets
and concessions in advance.
Purchasing snacks and bever-
ages online helps support the
Oregon Garden and are a part
of making the event profi t-
able.
Arrive early to park and
enjoy one of these options
while waiting for the movie:
1. Along with your mov-
ie ticket, purchase Oregon
Garden admission and walk
through the garden.
2. Make dinner reserva-
tions for the Gardenview
Restaurant at Oregon Garden
Resort, which is a 2-3 minute
walk from the Drive-in Lot.
Reservations are required.
3. Have a drink or dinner
in the fi reside lounge located
at the resort. No reservation
required and minors are al-
lowed until 8 p.m.
No alcohol is permitted at
the event.
Tickets and attendance
guidelines can be found on-
line at tinyurl.com/y26xyzg5.
File
Permitted gatherings, like the concert above in Keizer Rapids Park from previous years, are off
the table for at least this summer.
GATHER,
continued from Page A1
Keizer Rapids Park to host a
scaled-down version of the
annual KeizerFEST. Johnson
said the council would be
hard-pressed to allow such a
gathering to occur without
exposing itself to requests from
other groups. If a gathering is
expected to attract 50 people
or more, a city permit is
required.
Councilor Kim Freeman
said she saw a large group
gathered in Keizer Rapids
Park the weekend of Aug.
15, one that didn’t appear
to be following COVID-19
guidelines for social distancing
and masks. She also spotted
another cluster at the boat
ramp in the park.
“I know we can’t stop
people from going to the park,
but I don’t know how other
people are going to interpret
the gatherings,” Freeman said.
Councilor Marlene Parsons
expressed concern regarding
gatherings at Keizer Little
League (KLL) Park. More
than a month ago, she visited
a tournament at the KLL
park and reported back to the
council that spectators were
not adhering to pandemic
guidelines.
Johnson said that city staff
had begun monitoring the
park activities slightly more
closely in the wake of that
incident.
“What we’ve heard is they
are doing a ‘pretty good’ job of
following the guidelines,” said
City Manager Chris Eppley.
Keizer
Public
Works
Director Bill Lawyer advised
the council not to permit
reservations of Keizer parks at
least until the end of summer.
“If we don’t permit it, we
don’t have the responsibility.
We might be allowing it
to happen, but we are not
permitting it,” Lawyer said.
Lawyer had the same
answer when it came to block
parties.
“It’s one thing to permit
them, it’s another thing to
allow them. My neighbors
held a cookout on what would
have been National Night
Out and they did fi ne using
social distancing,” Lawyer said.
If the city permitted
gatherings, Eppley said, the
enforcement of pandemic
guidelines would fall on city
staff or police. In lieu of a city-
issued permit, enforcement
lies with county authorities.
Mayor Cathy Clark asked
whether there were signs at
the parks reminding people
about the potential dangers of
gathering in large groups.
Lawyer responded that signs
were in place at playgrounds
and sports courts, but not at
park entrances.
“I visited Spongs Landing
this past Sunday and the
[Marion] County had signs up
everywhere and I don’t think
it made a bit of difference,”
Lawyer said.
Clark persisted saying, “I
think there are some prudent
locations for COVID signage.”
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