We're Still In A Pandemic!

Black Lives Matter.  

This is a difficult and trying time for everybody, regardless of race, social class, or occupation.  We are in the middle of an incredibly unique era where change is coming, and our generation is pushing for it.  With this in mind, we are also in the middle of a pandemic.  Covid-19 has yet to pass, and we need to be mindful of this.  The potential for the virus to spread is still significant and should be considered when we leave the house for demonstrations.   Recently, the Oregon Health Authority has found over 100 new cases in the last week.   As a community, we need to protest for what is right, and stand for justice, but we need to keep our city, and our community safe.  With peaceful protests, we have successfully been advocating for justice, for what is right.  But now we need to remember that we are still in a pandemic. 

 How can we keep our community safe?   Here are a few easy things you can do to help stay healthy:

1)Wear proper masks that are well fitted to your face.  

2)Carry hand sanitizer with you incase you don't have access to sinks and soap. 

3)Practice social distancing in congested areas such as stores. 

For more information, check the links below and stay safe!

Coronavirus Spike!

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/oregon-coronavirus-cases-spike-june/283-76ebf1c3-1122-416f-92cd-1a3b044bd5ff

Stay healthy.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html

Protecting What Is Important

 As a city, Portland in particular is incredibly supportive to new businesses, whether it is a small boutique shop, a cubby store, or a food truck.  We love our new businesses!  However, with restrictions on essential business, the constraints of government has forced many of these stores, in some cases brand new, to close.  Over the course of the last couple of months, we, as a community, have seen businesses not only temporarily close, but also permanently close their doors. Between lay-offs, and having to pay bills without being able to run their stores, new and seasoned business owners are loosing their work, and having to come out of retirement to help compensate for the financial implications of business restraints.  However, with phase one being introduced, a lot of doors are being opened back up, and business is steadily getting on track to becoming normal again.  However, business owners have a long road ahead of them. 
So how can you help?  Shop local, and try to find the new stores, or boutique stores that you think really need the business.  Larger, chain shops have the ability to seek out big loans, and reallocate money because they have the financial resources to do so.  Unfortunately, smaller, start up shops do not.  You can also spread the word for these small businesses through social media platforms.  Public awareness can goes a long way.  Spread the word, shop local, and help restart our community!

How are businesses impacted? Click on the link below!
https://www.oregonbusiness.com/article/opinion/item/19011-covid-19-closures-what-oregon-employers-need-to-know

BLM. Black-Owned businesses you can support!
https://pdx.eater.com/2020/6/4/21280912/support-portland-area-black-owned-restaurants-cafes-bars-breweries-wineries

Life After Covid-19

Notably, Covid-19 has transformed and will last to alter the way people live. In the aftermath of Covid-19, the operation of different activities will have to change to fit the current situation. Many unexpected things have happened during the Coronavirus pandemic. For example, the frontline workers have had post-traumatic stress disorder and, in some circumstances leading to death (The Medical Futurist, 2020). Another cause of the pandemic is diminishing trust in the globalized where. This means that people will not freely travel from one country to another, as there will be many restrictions. Such a situation will lead to coming up with different ways of dealing with the post-coronavirus pandemic. For example, more focus must be put on the healthcare system (The Medical Futurist, 2020). This is because most of the frontline healthcare workers have suffered a lot, and new ways of dealing with the situation need to be implemented. In that case, the healthcare system needs to be restored in the best way. To deal with restrictions across the world, countries will need to have a new travel document. In this case, for people to be allowed to move in and out of countries, they will be required to have an immunity passport. This means that people need to have immunity to the disease for them to move freely across different countries.

However, some things need to be changed entirely so that people can quickly deal with future pandemics. Firstly, countries should be ready to use artificial intelligence for medical purposes (The Medical Futurist, 2020). The artificial intelligence will be used to help the professionals to perfect the solution. Secondly, there should be a suitable solution for different situations. For example, digital operations should be embraced to deal with various aspects like education and health. Therefore, researched solutions would help prepare for future pandemics in the country.  

References

Life after COVID-19: What Will Change? - The Medical Futurist. (2020). Retrieved 10 June 2020, from https://medicalfuturist.com/life-after-covid-19-what-will-change/

The World Is Changing, And It Needs To, But Don't Lose Sight

It feels strange to try and form coherent thoughts right now, especially something that would be fit for publication. For context this is my last week of college and the nation, furthermore the world, is on a stage which is set for the greatest societal shifts which my generation will likely see in our lifetime barring the arrival of alien life. But I think right now more than ever that being silent is as much a part of the problem than anything else. Although I don’t necessarily think that anyone wants little more than words these days. I can’t express how sick to my stomach I get when I see a company or some celebrity on twitter voice their opinions about “these unprecedented times” or “everything that’s happening right now.” What we want is for people to take action in order to protect us. Not just from the global pandemic which is very much still a real and present threat, but also from the overwhelming feeling of helplessness in the face of a police force which cares little for our right and the lives of those they are meant to “protect” - evidenced by the fact that police have no problem killing black people and never have. I could spend the rest of this post dedicating my time to educating you on the history of that statement, but there are far more people who are better at and more qualified than me to do so. There aren’t many- if any statements I could make on the matter of which that wouldn’t be true, but what I can do is point you in the direction of ways in which you can get involved.


A LIST OF WAYS TO SUPPORT BLACK LIVES MATTER:

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/


THE PORTLAND PROTESTERS BAIL FUND:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/pdx-protest-bail-fund


SEND AN EMAIL TO THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS TO DEFUND THE PPB:

https://www.uniteoregon.org/defund_ppb_special_units


If you’re unsure about these movements or what they stand for, there are countless other resources on the internet which can provide you with the information you need. Now more than ever is not only a time for listening, but for self-education and action even for someone like me- who can’t take to the streets due to health issues.


These issues also are going to furthermore disproportionately affect our homeless community, as they have nowhere to go when these curfews are enforced, and on the whole are harassed by cops every single day just for trying to survive. Homelessness can be caused by a myriad of issues which many parts of our society are not prepared or equipped to treat, and that especially goes for the police. When we march, it’s important to remember that we aren’t just marching for those who we’ve lost, but to protect those that need it the most- the homeless especially who are already being under treated in the other crisis which we face today.



Remember. We’re still in a pandemic.


Black Lives Matter. Defund the police. Don’t stop there.


A graduating senior,

-Brad Weber

Caught In The Crossfire

In the last two weeks, people all over the world have gathered in the streets to protest the unjust murder of George Floyd. In response, police forces across America have assaulted protesters with rubber bullets and tear gas. 

For protesters who choose to join demonstrations and fight for the #BlackLivesMatter movement, tear gas and rubber bullets are a scary but unfortunately expected potential outcome.  For America’s homeless population, however, there is often nowhere to go and no choice in the matter. 

Protesters in downtown Portland have witnessed numerous instances of homeless individuals suffering as a result of these tactics. “A video taken [June 2nd] shows a thick cloud of tear gas blowing through a row of tents along Southwest Naito Parkway, as five [...] police officers walk away” (Harbarger). Despite attempts to warn homeless individuals of the upcoming protests and move them out of the city, police officers “don’t have a strategy to avoid homeless people who might get caught in their crowd control munitions” (Harbarger). 

So, how do we protect the lives of America’s homeless population in the midst of these protests?

Early April, California governor Gavin Newsom introduced an initiative titled Project Roomkey. The Project’s goal is to provide “a way for people who don’t have a home to stay inside to prevent the spread of COVID-19” (County). While this model for housing homeless individuals is not sustainable in the long-term, it does provide safe reliable housing for the time-being. Especially with tear gas, rubber bullets, and COVID-19 all creating an increasingly dangerous environment in public spaces, initiatives like Project Roomkey keep homeless individuals safe for the time-being. 

To learn more about the effect of protests on Portland’s homeless population read this article by OregonLive: https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/06/portlands-downtown-homeless-community-increasingly-caught-in-police-protest-tactics.html

Additionally, The County of Los Angeles have outlined the details of Project Roomkey it the article linked here: https://covid19.lacounty.gov/project-roomkey/

Natalie Eng

Sources:

https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/06/portlands-downtown-homeless-community-increasingly-caught-in-police-protest-tactics.html

https://abc7.com/gavin-newsom-homeless-california-coronavirus/6113446/

https://covid19.lacounty.gov/project-roomkey/ 

Protests and the Homeless

Protests and the Homeless 

After the killing of George Floyd due to a police officer kneeling on his neck for nearly 9 minutes, causing him to die from Asphyxia (strangulation), protests began happening all over the world. The hatred and frustration against the police forces started off with riots and looting, and then adopted a calmer approach. Destruction to major cities all over the nation have directly affected some homeless people, including a homeless man named Cale from Austin, Texas. 

A video went viral of a homeless man's mattress being thrown into flames, destroying his home. Throughout the video he is heard shouting "No" and "I live here" and then turns to the person filming and asks "What are you doing?" A lot of the protests are happening on homeless encampments, destroying their homes and belongings. The individuals who are participating in the protests, which sometimes turn into violent and destructive riots, don't realize that the homeless can't shelter indoors and avoid the chaos that comes with protesting. Our world is already struggling through a global pandemic, making it hard enough for the homeless to be safe. 

Internet responds to viral video by donating mattress to homeless man identified as Cale (Twitter)

Nobody has been held responsible yet for the starting of the fire, but the homeless man who was affected is being taken care of. A spokesperson for the non-profit, United Way in Austin, spoke out and stated that they are paying for Cale to stay in a hotel and bought him a cell phone until they can accommodate him with an apartment. A mattress has also been donated to Cale and will be delivered to him, as well as many GoFundMe's being set up to help Cale out. 

People all around the world are outraged about the killings of black lives due to police brutality, and have taken initiative to make a difference. However, this time leaves the homeless feeling extremely vulnerable as their camps are being destroyed, and some are even receiving fines for being outside past city imposed curfews, even though they have nowhere else to go. It's important to be aware of the homeless people that are peacefully living on the streets, and to simply leave them and their belongings alone while protesting for BLM. 

Learn more here: 

https://www.insider.com/homeless-man-new-bed-fire-infowars-viral-video-burned-protest-2020-6

Posted by: Jessica Woolley, Portland State University 

  

Homeless During Black Lives Matter

HOMELESS DURING PROTESTS

As if being homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic was not difficult enough, homeless people are being caught up in the Black Lives Matter protests by police brutality. It had to take a pandemic and movement for outreach workers to lend a helping hand to the homeless community in downtown Portland. The police brutality that homeless people have faced in the midst of the protests are uncalled for, as is police brutality altogether. Because they have nowhere else to go, and the safety on the streets is threatened, the homeless population in downtown is struggling between the coronavirus and police actions. In the situation of a protest, the police force does not have any strategy at avoiding attacks on the homeless. Everyone that is out on the streets will be grouped as protesters, and all hell breaks loose. Portable bathrooms that are provided for the homeless population have been destroyed by skirmishes between the police force and provoked protesters. The homeless population was harmed, their basic human rights being assaulted. The homeless are being attacked for just being on the streets. In Los Angeles, police fired rubber bullet to an old man's face. The homeless man is 75 years old, and wheelchair-bound. This goes to show that the police force do not care whether or not they fire at protesters, or the homeless. It is extremely dangerous for the homeless to be out in the streets, but they have nowhere else to go. For more details on attacks against the homeless during the BLM protests, click this link. 

Sources :https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/06/portlands-downtown-homeless-community-increasingly-caught-in-police-protest-tactics.html

https://abc7.com/lapd-chief-wants-to-fire-police-detective-who-shot-homeless-veteran/5893008/

By Lyn Loo

Preemptive Action: How Hawaii Averted a COVID Catastrophe Among Their Homeless Population

By Henry McDowell

As a number of posts on this blog have already examined, COVID-19 has the potential to be absolutely devastating to homeless populations, with issues such as lack of healthcare, cramped homeless shelters, and a lack of sanitation. However, today I want to consider what can be done to avoid this catastrophe, by looking at the success of one state that, so far, has had only one case of COVID-19 among its homeless population.

Admittedly, going into the pandemic, Hawaii started out with a clear advantage: by being located on multiple islands, they were able to better limit travel not just in and out of the state, but also between islands. This has clearly been very beneficial, as so far Hawaii has only had 675 cases and 17 COVID-19 related deaths over the course of the pandemic. The only states to have a smaller total number of cases are Alaska and Montana, and Montana has had one more COVID related death than Hawaii.

However, this is not the sole reason for the lack of homeless cases. Multiple hospitals and homeless shelters throughout Hawaii have begun aggressively screening and subsequently testing any clients that show potential symptoms. Additionally, many homeless shelters have temporarily rented additional housing for their clients to comply with social distancing without decreasing capacity.

Pictured: A Community Health Center in West Hawaii
Source: https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2020/03/18/hawaii-news/21-tested-for-covid-19-at-community-health-center/


So what can we learn from Hawaii? The most important lesson is to be prepared. Because of their isolation from the mainland, Hawaii was both given more time to prepare, and used that time wisely to restrict travel, increase homeless shelter capacity, and rapidly increase testing. If the rest of the United States had similarly bought itself time by closing its borders sooner and increasing testing, the effects of the pandemic could have been far less devastating.

Check out these articles for far more detail on Hawaii’s homeless COVID-19 cases:

https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/05/denby-fawcett-hawaiis-homeless-have-avoided-covid-19-so-far/

https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/post/hawai-i-homeless-update-movement-street-covid-19-shutdown

We Need More Realistic Affordable Housing Options

According to The Heritage Foundation, Portland's homeless population in 2018 was roughly 14,000. We have a growing number of individuals becoming homeless every year and it seems that shelter after shelter either closes after opening because they cost too much to maintain or are stalled in the building phase for excessive permit cost or unforeseen construction fees. 

There has to be a new affordable housing model that can sufficiently manage Portland's homeless population. 

We have dozens of underutilized treatment services and housing options. We continue to tolerate people street camping or putting tents on sidewalks instead of helping to funnel potential clients into adequate services. The emphasis should be on the failure of the city to provide adequate outreach for services and consistency in enforcing laws around drug use and street camping on public property. 

According to an article by JD Supra a real estate developer in the Portland area "For a three-person, extremely low-income household earning $21,990 a year, $550 rent per month is considered affordable." There are no places in any part of Portland where you can rent a studio apartment for that much. Transitions projects however have changed that fact with the release of a new housing model in a project they call LISAH. LISAH stands for low-income single adult housing.

This innovation in affordable housing is a result of something called modular construction. The units are built off-site and delivered to the construction site and the cost-saving makes the rent affordable for people who are experiencing homelessness and working even part-time. There are two distinct living styles: one is more communal where there are shared kitchen and bathroom spaces for an entire pod and the individual pays 300 dollars to have their room. They share community spaces like a living room, kitchen, and bathrooms. Insert image 

The next is just an upgraded version of that same model; the studio apartment includes more living space, an in-room bathroom, and your own separate kitchen space. The new model makes the total cost of this studio one of the cheapest models in Portland coming in at 500 dollars. This new cost-effective model for affordable housing at the cheapest could aid the entire homeless population find housing and learn to effectively stay in housing long term. 

I implore you as a member of the community to hold your city or state accountable to building and maintaining truly affordable housing options. As of now the city of Portland has let this population down by providing little to no realistic options for affordable housing. I ask anyone reading to push forward affordable housing initiatives that emphasize modular construction models that are both realistically innovative and affordable. Please support local agencies like the Transitions Projects in helping to provide a second chance to those in need.

To find out more about the cost of affordable housing please see: 

https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/commentary/why-portlands-homeless-problem-the-worst-the-nation 

To find out more about the LISAH model and the Argyle Garden site please visit: 

https://www.bluemountaineagle.com/news/state/deeply-affordable-housing-project-opens-welcoming-individuals-experiencing-homelessness-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/article_7c0bd795-5fda-55c2-954f-0de8210bb849.html

Written By: Spenser Belch 

Black Lives Matter in the Time of COVID-19

This past weekend, the country erupted with pain over the murder of George Floyd. Protests erupted all over the nation and in many places, people traveled from rural areas and city sprawls alike by the thousands to show up for the Black Lives Matter movement in honor of innocent African Americans murdered by police officers. These protests are occurring on a historical scale during a historical pandemic, and it is important to recognize the potential risks. 

According to New York Times, many public health experts are concerned at the lack of social distancing that takes place at these protests. And it makes sense: protesting is almost impossible to do while maintaining a safe 6 feet of distance from every other person around. Given the limiting nature of most public spaces, such as streets, parks, and other sites of protest, there is only so much physical space. Plus, one of the main points of protesting is that people are there to show a collective force. 

Another point to consider is the chaos that has been present at many of these protests. In several cities across the nation, multiple days of protests have been declared “riots”, and serious police action has been taken against protesters. They have been subjected to pepper spray, rubber bullets, legal curfews, and forceful dispersion. Additionally, there has been chaos among the protesters or between protestors and outside instigators, sometimes turning into violent attacts and retaliations, as well as fires being set, buildings been broken into, and large scale theft and looting. In these instances, it is especially difficult for people to maintain space from eachother, and it is likely not a top focus for them in the midst of the chaos. 

Nobody can know with certainty what will happen, but it is certain that greater exposure to others and close proximity are risk factors for contracting COVID-19. Health experts warn that it masks may not be enough to protect people from the virus. But, with multiple crises happening in the United States, we have to do our best to divide our attention to where it matters and be as safe as possible doing it. Below is a tweet from the New York City department of public health:

Click on the link below to read more from The New York Times on what you can do to be more informed:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/health/protests-coronavirus.html

Homelessness and the Coronavirus: Why We Should Care

In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter is especially important. Think about it: we are told to Stay Home,

but what are you supposed to do when you can’t because you don’t have a home? 

This is especially concerning given some of the recent data to come out about the spread of COVID-19 within populations
that are traditionally higher risk for disease, namely corresponding to a lack of healthcare and harmful social forces.

Furthermore, they have little access to hygiene-promoting products such as hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes,
as well as showers. 

It’s vital that attention is turned towards this community given that the homeless population often lives in close quarters. 1.4 million people rely on homeless shelters each year in the United States, which means that both on the streets and in the shelters, there is a high risk of transmission. Especially due to the fact that most of those who have tested positive show no symptoms. Gina Neff, sociologist at the University of Oxford, says “what we’re seeing in this first wave in the US is that the largest clusters are in populations where people don’t have a lot of agency… These populations will become the sources of new outbreaks, even when we feel like we kind of have it under control.” So, with all of the effort that the community is putting forward to curb the current outbreak, investing in proper care, sanitation, and housing is at the forefront of preventing the next one.

Check out the link for more information to learn how to best protect yourself
and support the community:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01389-3

Children Are the Future

Children are the future, this age old adage states how we should value our youths development and the direct result of which having generational effects on the community. For most of Oregon's youth this means attending school and gradually preparing oneself for adulthood. For the “1590 [homeless] teenagers living on the street unaccompanied” this is not the case as the burden of adulthood is foisted onto them as early as age 16 years old. In the U.S. Oregon’s ranks the highest in youth and teenage homeless, many believing that “foster care placements have some correlation.”. According to Kid Counter, an organization by the Annie E. Casey foundation,overcrowding in Oregon’s foster care has increased to “15%” resulting in 3000 teenagers in inadequate housing. A person can infer that some of these youth have decided to live on their own rather than in the cramped public housing. While foster care teens do have the benefit of shelter once they age out of carre they have to become completely self-reliant overnight. For the homeless youth life is even more difficult as they are not of working age and rely exclusively on school or shelters for all of their primary care. In either case the care is limited and only available for a brief time until both enter the real world without any kind of support in place. Organizations such as New Avenues help plan for both life transitions and have adopted a non-judgemental acceptance of all lifestyles. New Avenues allows any youth aged 16-24 to use their drop by service which includes basic necessities like laundry service and pet care to more elboartate job training and therapy services. These services are free and they are meant to act as a bridge to self-dependence that many were never afforded before. New Avenues housing program New Doors goes beyond providing basic necessities by covering housing for its residents in exchange for completing 30 hours of work or school a week. Programs such as these are life changing as residents have time to focus on improving their lives and less time worrying about if rent will be paid this month. While New Avenues work is life changing there is only so much they can accomplish on their own, the systemic issue comes from a lack of foster care housing. New Avenues and foster care organizations urge anyone with the ability and time to volunteer for foster parenting as the need is dire. While organizations such as New Avenue’s offer transition housing for the later years in life, the formative years for homeless youth are still in danger. Finding homes for these youth is necessary for a brighter future for all Oregonians, help by donating, volunteering and for those willing to start a new chapter in a youth’s life today.

By Nick Garza




Getting Involved

https://newavenues.org/get-involved




Work Cited




https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-statistics/or/




https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/403002-299906-oregon-ranks-first-for-homeless-youth




https://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/67-children-living-in-crowded-housing?loc=39&loct=2#detailed/3/86/false/37,871,870,573,869,36,868,867,133,38/any/368,369

Some of Portland’s Actions for the Homeless

During the times of COVID-19, the homeless have been at a great risk of catching the virus. Here are a couple things that the city of Portland has done/or is currently doing to prevent this. 

Even though the city has a history of being against sanctioned camping, Portland opened three camps (operated by the JOIN nonprofit) in an attempt to control the virus’s spreadability. There are 2 on the Southeast side and one on the West. Each camp will give priority to a different demographic of the homeless. One with a priority for LGBTQ+, one for people of color, and one for the elderly. It is the city’s hope that with these sanctioned camps, they can offer tents and sleeping bags that are hygienic/clean. These locations are following proper social distancing rules. These camps will hopefully contain the spread of COVID-19 within the homeless population of Portland.

Portland commissioner, Jo Ann Hardesty was quoted saying, “While the housed community can take refuge in their homes and have the bulk of their needs met during this time, our houseless neighbors have lost the many resources and support networks they depended on.”

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-tents-outdoor-shelter-homeless-portland-tents/283-c78decae-5fb1-4e5d-9862-84ff52b48c82

-Aaron Clausen

Helping the Homeless

People may not realize but the homeless population is being hit particularly hard by the pandemic and with millions of Americans out of work and out of money they have no way of paying their rent, which is forcing them to lose their homes.

When the Pandemic hit America everyone was sent to stay in their homes, and stay a safe distance from other people. For the homeless however, they don't have a home to go to and are often in crowed shelters or homeless camps. In a time like this when were in the middle of a pandemic everyone needs to put their heads together and figure out ways to improve the situation. There might even be many individuals who are ready and eager to help the homeless in any way they can, but don't know what needs to be done or how to get started. There are three major ways that would help the communities homeless population, and give them the resources they need.

                                       1.Donate to a fundraiser or start your own to help local shelters

                                       2. Write a letter to an elected official

                                       3. Raise awareness

The stay at home order is increasing the demand for beds in shelters along with more supplies such as food, blankets, and clothes, so donating to a shelter will help them supply the homeless with what they need to get through the pandemic. Making contact with an elected official would allow you to have a voice for the community and speak out about what the community needs, and advocate for supplies or new regulations for the homeless. Raising awareness will help to make people realize how much the homeless are being impacted by the pandemic, and spread the word to gather more helping hands in this time of need. There is something that everyone can do to help weather it is big or small that will evidently make a huge difference in the homeless community, so visit  

https://www.pschousing.org/ to find out how you can help and what can be done to find housing solutions to decrease homelessness. 

-Written by Amber Hambas 

Source: Three ways you can help the homeless during COVID-19. (2020, April 3). Retrieved from https://ctmirror.org/category/ct-viewpoints/three-ways-you-can-help-the-homeless-during-covid-19-charlie-shaddox/