June 28, 2017 The Skanner Page 3
News
that while people of col-
or make up more than
40 percent of the total
homeless
population
and 35 percent of the
unsheltered population,
they represent only 29
percent of county’s resi-
dents.
Increase in sheltered,
but still more homeless
Since the last “point-
in-time” count in 2015,
the findings represent an
11.6 percent decrease in
the unsheltered popula-
tion – the lowest it’s been
since 2009.
Moreover, the shel-
tered population has
increased by 31 percent,
“
cont’d from pg 1
Income disparity, soar-
ing rents
A major reason for the
increase in homeless-
ness, according to coun-
ty figures, is the growing
income disparity and
rents that have far out-
paced wages.
The average cost of a
one-bedroom apartment
— now far above $1,100
a month — has grown
20 times faster than the
median income since
2015. For those making
minimum wage, rent in-
creases since 2005 have
cost thousands of dol-
lars more in real income,
making it much more
4,177 people are without
permanent housing on any
given night
due to the county’s ef-
forts in making available
637 additional beds since
January 2016.
Investments in shelters
and housing aid have
largely been the work of
A Home for Everyone,
a partnership between
the county, city and com-
munity members. As the
region’s first communi-
ty-wide plan for tackling
homelessness, the group
has placed a record 4,600
homeless people into
permanent housing in
three years. That’s a 55
percent increase since
2014. Among those who
found homes, 62 percent
are people of color.
Adding to that, more
than 5,200 homeless — 67
percent of those people
of color – have received
prevention
services
since A Home for Every-
one launched in 2014.
Yet in two years, the
county’s homeless pop-
ulation has in fact in-
creased by 10 percent, or
376 individuals.
Mayor
difficult to afford other
basics like groceries and
transportation.
“The people that folks
used to turn to in their
lives for help, with may-
be a room to stay, are
now facing homeless-
ness. That’s where we are
right now,” Denis Theri-
ault, spokesperson for
the Joint Office of Home-
less Services, told The
Skanner.
While Portland is
sometimes
character-
ized as a destination for
homeless and transient
people, perhaps due to
its moderate tempera-
tures and image of public
tolerance, the numbers
show otherwise.
According to research
by city officials and
Portland State Univer-
sity, about 85 percent
of homeless people are
from the community in
which they dwell.
Read the rest of this story at
TheSkanner.com
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
Homeless
Greater Seattle Black Graduation
Brandon Vaughan a graduate of Rainier Beach High School shows of his graduation cap during a little competition to see who had
designed the best cap at the Greater Seattle Black Graduation 2017, June 24 at Washington Hall. Students from high schools all over
Seattle were honored for their accomplishments.
Violence
cont’d from pg 1
as CEO. At the heart of his mes-
sage was a commitment to unity.
“When we’ve made strides his-
torically, we’ve been unified in
a common goal,” he said. “We’re
here to take a stance and have a
voice.”
Initiated by Hopson and Albi-
na Head Start CEO Ron Herndon,
the public forum was headed by a
panel of some of Portland’s prom-
inent Black leaders. Its intent was
to draw Black men whose pres-
ence, according to organizers,
has been missing.
“When you talk about voices
around the violent issues that are
happening, the Black men are not
there in mass, there’s no unified
effort,” Hopson told a group of
reporters, which included The
Skanner.
Wednesday’s meeting was
about fortifying that effort.
“Realistically, there’s a lot of
things that are better, but it’s not
nearly as good as it ought to be,”
Hopson said.
He mentioned SEI’s success in
boosting graduation rates for
Black students, in the face of
persistent unemployment and
“
When we’ve
made strides
historically,
we’ve been uni-
fied in a com-
mon goal
criminal activity. “We still have
a long way to go… But I look at all
of these Black men who care and
have congregated here, it gives
me energy.”
Ronnie Herndon, who moved
to Portland in 1968 from Harlem,
reflected on the socio-econom-
ic plight of Blacks at that time.
Some 50 years on, he believes the
core issues remain the same: un-
employment and a lack of decent
housing and education.
“But what’s important is that
people still have the spirit to want
to change,” said Herndon. “People
are here to listen and their ques-
tions are about the next steps.”
Recent violence has been sent
shockwaves through the Portland
and Black neighborhoods in par-
ticular.
“Our community is under
siege,” said panelist Rev. Dr. Le-
Roy Haynes, Jr. of the Allen Tem-
ple and the Albina Ministerial
Alliance.
He likened the resurgence of
White supremacist activity to
the civil rights movement of the
1960s.
“White supremacy will not
win,” continued Haynes. “We are
not going back. We will move for-
ward.”
He also acknowledged the ne-
cessity of Portland’s police to be
“community-oriented and willing
to respect Black men and boys.”
Read more at TheSkanner.com
cont’d from pg 1
street homelessness. We’ve obviously,
now, successfully passed our housing
bond, and we’ve put into place both the
advisory committee and the oversight
committee that will be responsible for
making sure that that $250 million in-
vestment in workforce and lower-in-
come housing is very successful. I’ve
worked with Commissioner (Chloe)
Eudaly to make sure that all of the thou-
sands of workforce and lower-income
housing units that are in the pipeline
for permitting, that we see those go
from permit to actually shovels in the
ground and cranes in the air.
We now have what I would describe
as the most aggressive climate action
plan in the United States. And it inten-
tionally is a just climate action plan,
meaning that everybody in the commu-
nity who is impacted by the plan – in-
cluding lower-income folks, including
people who are not typically invited to
the table, including communities of col-
or — are very much part of the process,
and gain the economic benefits from
making investments in renewable en-
ergy strategies, infrastructure, R &
D, educational opportunities. We’re
working hand in glove with the Coali-
tion of Communities of Color to make
sure that everybody benefits from that
program. So those are just some of the
things we’ve done in six months.
TSN: You appoint a lot of boards and
commissions. On some public boards
“
and supporting new leadership at city
hall, supporting new leadership on my
team, that I think is more reflective of
the community that we’re going to see
in the future. I don’t need to lecture you
on demographic change, but people are
keenly aware of the fact that for school-
aged kids under the age of 10, we have
a minority-majority community. My
question as mayor is, are we doing ev-
My question as mayor is, are we doing every-
thing on the civic side to ensure that this next
generation of leaders is ready to take the lead
and commissions, people will serve
six or eight terms. Do you think those
boards can become stagnated?
TW: I do think that’s a possibility, and
as communities change — particular-
ly a community changing as rapidly
as Portland is — I think it is healthy to
bring new people onto boards. I’m very
proud, actually, of my record in the first
six months, in terms of bringing new
people onto boards and commissions
erything on the civic side to ensure
that this next generation of leaders is
ready to take the lead in all institutions
-- not just government, but the private
sector, the nonprofit and philanthrop-
ic sectors? We’ve got to make sure that
we’re setting the table for this next gen-
eration to not only be fully participa-
tory in a meaningful way but also that
they are ready to lead. And I’m highly
committed to that.
TSN: On police reform, why did you
decide to take the search for a new po-
lice chief nationwide, and where are we
at with that?
TW: First of all, we have to go back.
Former Mayor Hales had a problem
with his police chief. He lost his police
chief and he appointed Chief Marsh-
man to be the police chief. I was, of
course, in the final throes of my may-
oral campaign and I was asked, would I
just stick with that chief or would I do a
national search? I said I would do a na-
tional search.
I think it is very important in this
position to make sure that given the
changes that are taking place in the
community, given the changes that are
taking place nationally around polic-
ing, it’s very important to me, as the po-
lice commissioner, to make sure that I
have a police chief that is on board with
the stated reforms that I put on the ta-
ble during my campaign.
Read the full interview at TheSkanner.com
