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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 2018)
March 21, 2018 Page 13 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. O PINION 50 Years after the Fair Housing Act We still have a long ways to go J eFFrey W. h iCks We have come a long way toward building black home- ownership since the Fair Housing Act was signed into federal law 50 years ago. In commemorating that milestone, we recognize and emphasize that with fewer than half of black Americans owning their homes we still have a long way to go to reach economic parity through homeownership. The National Association of Real Estate Brokers, an equal by opportunity and civil rights ad- vocacy organization for black American real estate profession- als, consumers, and communi- ties, has advocated for black American home- ownership since it was founded on the principle of “Democracy in Hous- ing” in 1947. We were at the fore- front and in the trenches of this movement prior to April 11, 1968, when this act signaled a new level of commitment to self-determination and empow- erment for black people. Our organization was there, active in ensuring that the law passed. Today we continue working to ensure that fair and equitable treatment for black Americans under the law remains intact as we work to increase homeown- ership in black communities, na- tionwide. The importance of the Fair Housing Act cannot be over-em- phasized as vital to the journey to full fair housing for all Amer- icans. Recognizing this history helps to fortify us for the next stage of this ongoing movement. The ob- stacles to achieving fair housing may have changed over the past 50 years, but NAREB remains vigilant and ready to challenge any institutional and systemic barriers to increasing the rates of affordable and sustainable home- ownership for Black Americans. We recognize the challenges. Today, black homeownership is at a very low 42 percent. At its peak in 2004, Black homeown- ership stood 49 percent. We’re working to return to -- and then surpass -- that level. Democracy in housing rep- resents something far different today -- the systemic obstacles of increasingly economically-segre- gated communities. We fully understand that de jure segregation and institutional rac- ism remain pervasive problems throughout the United States. We will continue to use all available tools in 2018 and in the future to increase black homeownership as a pillar of the American Dream. We will keep advocating for sup- portive policies and educate our community about the inter-gener- ational wealth-building power of homeownership. The National Association of Real Estate Brokers will host a series of events and activities throughout 2018 to educate and inspire the public about the nev- er-ending struggle for equality and true democracy in housing. Our continuing movement to increase black homeownership signals our unshakable convic- tion that this pillar of the Ameri- can Dream is still achievable, de- sirable and affordable for African Americans. Jeffrey W. Hicks is the 30th president of the National Associ- ation of Real Estate Brokers. From Military Hero to Heroin Addiction It’s up to us to lend a hand s amyueLL m ongkhounsavath On a daily commute in Port- land, it is tough to not make any eye contact with someone experi- encing homelessness and panhan- dling at a stop light or at least spot someone who is hauling a moun- tain of all their belongings on their back in a makeshift rucksack. Now imagine that person ex- periencing homelessness being a family member who voluntarily served in our nation’s military, protecting its values and culture from impeding foreign enemies. That family member who desired to destroy the enemy before they reached our homeland; and why we can safely lay our heads down at night free from the thought of harm. It is sad to say, but several of the nomads that we see liv- ing in tent cities (that con- sistently get raided) on the sides of our highways are those who have protected and served our country. Dave, a veteran experi- encing homelessness liv- ing in Portland who served eight years in the Marines with a total of four combat tours, willingly shared his story of a battle with home- lessness and overcoming substance-use over a lightly competitive game of ping- pong. The story begins in Iraq by where Dave was on his final con- voy coming back in from doing route clearance where suddenly his truck was struck with a rock- et propelled grenade. Two weeks later, he woke up in a hospital in Germany with metal plates in his legs, a reconstructed face and the single memory of a loud bang. After re-learning how to move his body through the military’s reha- bilitation program, Dave became accustomed to taking high-fre- quency pain medication to ease the pain of his recovering body. During this process, Dave fore- saw that he was going to be medi- cally discharged from the military after completing physical therapy. In the process, he prepared his fi- nances ahead of time to ensure he could provide for his wife and two kids for at least six months to en- sure that they were covered while searching for employment. Fast forwarding, the day that Dave was officially medically discharged, his doctor prescribed painkillers were no longer pre- scribed. Throughout the physical rehabilitation period, Dave’s body and mind became accustomed to the chemically induced high, which led to substance addiction. This addiction continued after his transition into civilian life. As a result, the mixture of the high cost of pain killers, an im- proper wean off period within the military’s rehabilitation system and Dave’s addiction to pain med- ication, Dave resorted to the use of heroin and alcohol. Heroin and alcohol reliance has consumed Dave’s life to the point that he has no finances for housing and no contact with his two children and former spouse. The low cost and high availability of drugs on the streets makes it an easy sub- stance of choice for many Veter- ans alike. It isn’t fair that Dave and our nation’s heroes who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of our country’s livelihood must go through an unfortunate transi- tion in their lives life like this. A local, Portland, non-prof- it that is combating against the homelessness of our nation’s he- roes is Transition Projects. Their mission is to serve people’s ba- sic needs as they transition from homelessness to housing. A small department within the organiza- tion called Supportive Services for Veteran Families, works spe- cifically with veterans like Dave by providing them with services such as rapid re-housing, home- less prevention and contact to outside resources such as sub- stance use counseling, financial guidance and alternative benefits specific to the veteran population. The team is comprised of vet- erans and members who have family and friends who have served. They are empathetic to the needs of their clients and go the extra mile to get the service member help. The four counties that they serve are Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Clark. If you live in one of these coun- ties and know of a veteran who is need of help, please contact the Transition Project’s Home- less intake hotline at 855-425- 5544. The veteran will complete a pre-screening and will be assessed based on severity of need. It is important that we as a tightly-knit community serve our local heroes like Dave who have voluntarily served us with their lives. It is up to us as Oregonians to send out an arm and lift our op- pressed, so that they can stand on their own two feet again. Samyuell Mongkhounsavath is the Veterans Case Manager at Transition Projects.