The INDEPENDENT, June 2, 2011
Page 13
Washington County homelessness down slightly per census
The number of homeless
persons in Washington County,
identified during an annual cen-
sus conducted the last week of
January, decreased slightly
from 1,383 persons in 2010, to
1,356 persons in 2011. The de-
crease reflects the coordinated
efforts of community partners to
re-tool the homeless response
system and increase re-
sources, according to non-prof-
it and county housing officials.
The downward trend meas-
ured in Washington County
comes as homelessness in
Oregon increased over the past
two years, according to Ore-
gon’s January 2011 Point-In-
Time Count. Statewide data
show that unemployment is the
leading cause for homeless-
ness, followed closely by un-
deremployment or inability to
pay rent.
Community Action, the lead
agency in coordinating the an-
nual homeless count, reports
findings that mirror the
statewide data, that unemploy-
ment in Washington County is
the primary cause for home-
lessness.
“High unemployment and
housing instability are trauma-
tizing to the entire household,”
said Community Action Hous-
ing and Homeless Services
Manager Pat Rogers. “Afford-
able housing is needed to
serve the increased number of
households now living at or be-
low the federal poverty level.”
Community and local gov-
ernment officials point to the
implementation of Washington
County’s 10-Year Plan to End
Homelessness as contributing
to the positive trend. Demo-
graphic data on homelessness
support the effective program
development and strategic ap-
proach in the 10-year plan to
prevent and end homelessness
in our community, officials say.
During the January count,
328 households (39 percent) of
the 839 interviewed reported
they became homeless be-
cause of unemployment or un-
deremployment, including re-
duced wages, a shift to part-
time work, or a combination of
similar factors.
Inability to pay rent, the sec-
ond leading cause for home-
lessness, was reported by 316
households (38 percent).
Of the 1,356 persons experi-
encing homelessness in Wash-
ington County:
• 423 (31 percent) were chil-
dren under the age of 18 years.
Of these, 32 children were re-
ported as unaccompanied indi-
viduals.
• 27 (12 percent) of school-
age children were not attending
school.
• 737 (54 percent) of per-
sons were part of a family, such
as an adult with child(ren). 69
(8 percent) were veterans.
• 141 (15 percent) were per-
sons homeless as a result of
domestic violence.
• 146 (16 percent) were per-
Tips given for using your grill safely
The National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) reminds
the public to use safe grilling
practices as the peak months
for grilling fires approach –
June and July. Gas grills consti-
tute a higher risk, having been
involved in an annual average
of 6,200 home fires in 2004-
2008, while charcoal or other
solid-fueled grills were involved
in an annual average of 1,300
home fires.
“Summer barbecues can be
a great time, but nobody wants
to see the event spoiled by
fire,” said Lorraine Carli, vice
president of communications
for NFPA. “There are many
simple measures you can take
to prevent damage to property,
injury, and death related to
grilling fires.”
In 2009, roughly 17,700 pa-
tients went to emergency
rooms because of injuries in-
curred by grill usage. Of about
9,400 thermal burns, children
under five made up about one-
quarter. These occurred mostly
when children touched or
bumped the grill.
For gas grill injuries, about a
third were burns that stemmed
from lighting the grill, while
gasoline or lighter fluid was a
factor in about a quarter of
charcoal or wood burning grill
burns.
NFPA offers the following
grilling safety tips:
• Use propane and charcoal
grills only outside – never use
them indoors.
• Make sure the grill is posi-
tioned well away from the home
and/or deck railings, and that it
is not underneath any eaves or
overhanging branches. It
should also be far from any
lawn games, play areas, or foot
traffic.
• Establish a child- and pet-
free zone around the grill of at
least three feet.
• Use grilling tools with long
handles that will allow more
clearance from the flames.
• Remember to regularly
clean fat and grease off the grill
and from trays underneath it in
order to reduce the risk of it ig-
niting.
• Never leave the grill unat-
tended.
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503-324-9808
Gas grills:
• Before using the grill for the
first time each year, check the
gas tank hose for leaks. To do
this, apply a light soap and wa-
ter solution to the hose and turn
the tank on. If the hose releas-
es bubbles, this indicates a
propane leak. If you find a leak,
turn the gas tank off. If the leak
See Grill on page 15
sons with physical disabilities.
• 231 (25 percent) were per-
sons with mental or emotional
disorders.
The number of persons ex-
periencing homelessness in
Washington County would
have been higher were it not for
the focused efforts outlined in
the 10-year plan to prevent
homelessness, officials main-
tained. Recent activity related
to the 10-year plan included:
• Implementation of the mul-
ti-year American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act Homeless-
ness Prevention and Rapid Re-
Housing Program (HPRP) in
2009 with $824,990 in federal
funding awarded to the Wash-
ington County Office of Com-
munity Development.
• Implementation of system
changes aligned with HPRP to
prevent homelessness through
the Community Action “Warm
Line,” a universal point of refer-
ral for at-risk tenancies. The
combination of systems change
and funding contributed to a re-
duction of Eviction Court cases
filed from 4,348 cases in 2008
to 3,819 cases in 2010, officials
said.
Implementation of a new in-
take system hosting Housing
and Community Resource Ori-
entation sessions administered
by Community Action and the
Emergency Shelter Network
providers. The sessions assist
persons experiencing home-
lessness by developing rapid
re-housing plans and providing
access to resources to suc-
cessfully transition from home-
lessness to housing.
See the Washington County
Point-In-Time Homeless Count
report: http://www.co.washing
ton.or.us/Housing/upload/ONH
C-Washington-2011.pdf .
Between the Bookends
From page 12
mission of mercy at an orphanage. But Natalia is also confronting
a private, hurtful mystery of her own involving the inexplicable cir-
cumstances surrounding her grandfather’s recent death. She
turns to the stories he told her as a child, including one of a time
during the Second World War when his village was cut off from
everything, but haunted by the fierce presence of a tiger. Natalia
realizes that, through the tales he told her, she will find the an-
swers she is looking for.
N OW S ERVING !
Jim’s Famous Bar-B-Q
Fridays & Saturdays
660 So. Main, Banks • 503-324-2171