8 A
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2017
Living
from 7A
Teter also believes that many of
the domestic violence cases he
sees at SOS are directly linked to
the housing and employment
issues.
“They don’t know what’s
going to happen from one
moment to the next,” he said.
“And they’re lashing out at each
other because they’re stressed and
scared.”
But the abused stay in the abu-
sive relationships because they
can’t find a place to live. So they
end up at SOS for help.
In 2016, there were 267 clients
receiving domestic violence
advocacy services from SOS.
When individuals do lose their
homes, and end up living in a car,
a whole host of other stresses
enters their psyches.
“You’ve got to sleep with one
eye open,” Teter said. “You don’t
know if you’re going to get
robbed from another homeless
person. You’re not getting the
sleep that you need. And a major-
ity of mental illnesses are caused
by lack of sleep. They’re more
likely to develop schizophrenia
and dissociative disorders — all
because they’re homeless and
they aren’t getting the sleep they
need.
“So, we’re seeing this rise in
mental illness.”
It’s not only the working poor
that are having difficulties. One of
the hardest populations for SOS to
assist are those on Social Security
Income (SSI).
“It’s not just the seniors, but we
have a lot of disabled people try-
ing to raise families on that,” Teter
said. “That is a huge issue for us.
You have this older population
who can’t afford to stay where
they’re at.”
According to Teter, SOS is
only now discovering the difficul-
ties facing this population and the
limitations for those reliant upon
SSI, which is a federal income
supplementation program funded
by general tax revenues, which
are collected to help aged, blind
and disabled people who have lit-
tle or no income.
“Let’s say you have a couple
that’s been living on SSI for 10
years,” Teter said. “Each person
receives $733 a month. They’re
living in the same household, so
they have a combined income of
$1,466 a month. But, there’s a rule
that says a household cannot
make more than $1,050 a month,
so their SSI gets cut back and gar-
nished for the 10 years they were
overpaid. ...
“So now this couple, who was
trying to live on $1,466 a month,
is trying to live on $733 a month
— and their rent is $750.”
Because getting full-time
employment is not possible for
these individuals without giving
up their SSI, they are forced to
find nontraditional means of
securing an income.
“They’re selling a lot of items,”
Teter said. “Begging. Trying to
find some way to make under-the-
table income doing artwork or
whatever else they can do.”
Teter said some people will get
donated items from SOS and turn
around and sell it just to pay the
rent.
“We have free clothing here, so
they’ll come get some and then
have a little yard sale to pay the
rent or their electric bill,” said
Teter.
The vast majority of individu-
als in the Siuslaw region are just
one step away from becoming
homeless, Teter and Huenergardt
believe.
“This isn’t sustainable,” Teter
said.
While SOS is playing a part in
helping to alleviate some of the
stresses that the region is facing,
Teter said the program does not
purport to be a hand out, only a
hand up.
“Our agency is trying to
encourage longevity instead of
just, ‘Okay, we’re going to get
you in there for a month and
you’re
off
the
street,’”
Huenergardt said. “That’s not
what we’re here for. We really do
strive to make sure the self-suffi-
ciency is there for success.”
While SOS does provide
resources to help clients with past
due rent or utilities, it looks at
how a client views a budget and
what changes can be made to help
prevent late notices from coming
in.
“We’re trying to do a wrap-
around kind of assistance because
the goal is to get them in a situa-
tion where they don’t need us,”
Teter said. “We’re not putting a
bandage on a gushing wound. We
want to help heal that wound a lit-
tle bit.”
And SOS has seen progress
with its clients.
“The good news is, we’ve seen
a lot less applications for housing
assistance,” Teter said. “I think a
part of that is, people are staying
in their homes longer. They’ve
figured out how to make money to
sustain themselves — like doing
two or three jobs.”
Teter is also seeing less people
getting laid off in winter months,
as some employers are beginning
to understand the costs of con-
stantly hiring and rehiring
employees.
However, that’s still not the
norm.
And, despite all the positives
Teter sees in the drop of applica-
tions, he has found that in some
cases, it is because people are
simply leaving town.
The work that SOS does has an
impact, Teter said, but he doesn’t
believe it will fix the overall prob-
lem — which will require broader
changes within the fundamental
economic makeup of the Siuslaw
region.
Still, Teter and Huenergardt see
hope in how the City of Florence
is moving forward on the issue.
“I think we’ve got a city gov-
ernment right now that’s sensitive
to the issue,” said Teter. “In talk-
ing with Mayor Joe Henry and
Florence City Manager Erin
Reynolds, they understand why
we’re in this predicament. They
understand what needs to hap-
pen.”
“It’s impressive to me, too, that
they care enough to give it a sec-
ond look,” Huenergardt said.
“Because, honestly, they could
just leave it to the business own-
ers and the economy of the city.
They’ve actually taken a very
positive role in saying ‘Hey, let’s
see what we can do about this.’”
Some of the city’s plans
include building more housing
and bringing in better jobs with
higher wages.
Though the city is working to
make this happen, the results are
not guaranteed. And if they hap-
pen, the process will take time —
in part because, as Teter has dis-
covered, some in the community
don’t fully understand the depth
of the crisis at hand.
Teter said, “I was talking with a
person who said, ‘Well, we built
some new houses in town. There’s a
whole bunch by the golf courses
over there.’ That’s true, but some-
one has to be making $50,000 to
$60,000 a year to afford them,” he
said. “Most of the people who need
housing are working part-time jobs.
Do you know anybody working like
that who earns that much money?”
See
LIVING 9A
Florence Foursquare Church
Christm as Baza ar
Saturday, November 18, 9 am to 3 pm
Handcraft ed quilts, bags, aprons, gift
baskets, gift drawings and more!
Florence Foursquare Church
1641 Highway 101 (next to A&W's)
Nov. 17, 18 and 19
Candles • Jewelry • Rag Rugs
Tuesday 11/7
Dixie Buss
Donna Riggs
Florence
Florence
Dunes Café
Safeway/Florence
Wednesday 11/8
Jim Gabriel
Dixie Buss
Florence
Florence
Safeway/Florence
RiteAid /Florence
Thursday 11/9
Tia Menser
Bea Vanderpool
Florence
Florence
International C-Food Market
Clawson’s Wheelhouse
Friday 11/10
Brenda McDaniel
Lavada Elston
Florence
Florence
Safeway/Florence
Safeway/Florence
Saturday 11/11
Roger Rice
Lonita Dalziel
Florence
Florence
Safeway/Florence
Florence Liquor Agency
Sunday 11/12
Peggy McHale
Walt Livingston
Florence
Florence
Florence Liquor Agency
Safeway/Florence
Monday 11/13
Karrie Lowry
Ellen Nielson
Cottage Grove
Florence
Florence Liquor Agency
Safeway/Florence
Look for FREE items placed
throughout the bazaar.
PORT HOLE
PUBLISHING
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FLORENCE
17th ANNUAL ‘TREE OF GIVING’
Begins Monday, Nov. 27th
LET US PUBLISH
YOUR BOOK
Stop by for a coff ee or hot chocolate and cookies.
Select an ornament from the tree representing
gift requests for specifi c necessities by a high school student
in our community. Return gift s to us by Dec. 13,
to be distributed before Christmas break.
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ccb#55030
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NEW-USED-RARE!
WE HAVE IT ALL!
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Looking
for a
unique gift
this
holiday
season?
Gift Certificates
for the
Florence Events
Center
To purchase – simply drop by the box office
Monday to Friday between
9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
715 Quince St * Florence, OR * 541-997-1994
Gift Certificates are good for
redeption for any ticketed show at the
FEC for one year from purchase.
•Helps those in need in Lane County
• Charitable donation
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St. Vincent de Paul
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Always the
perfect gift!
Christmas
Gift List
Toys • Books
Clothing
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Gift Certifi cates
St. Vincent DePaul’s
2315 Hwy 101 541-997-8460
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