The current situation of the homeless

 

The current situation of the homeless in Portland:

    "As of January 2020, Oregon had an estimated 14,655 experiencing homelessness on any given day, as reported by Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)."  

     "Public school data reported to the U.S. Department of Education during the 2017-2018 school year shows that an estimated 23,141 public school students experienced homelessness over the course of the year. Of that total, 2,511 students were unsheltered, 1,855 were in shelters, 1,246 were inhotels/motels, and 17,529 were doubled up."

According to statistics from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, there were nearly 900,000 shelter beds available for the homeless in 2018. There are several different types of government-funded asylum, including:

• Emergency Shelter: Provides temporary shelters and beds for the homeless, with a total of 286,000 beds.
• Transitional Housing: Provide housing and support services for the homeless for up to 24 months, with a total of 101,000 beds.
• Safe Haven: Provide temporary shelter and services for those in great need, with a total of 2390 beds.
• Rapid Rehousing: Provide short-term housing assistance to the homeless, with a total of 109,000 beds.
• Permanent Supportive Housing: Provides long-term housing and services for the homeless with disabilities, with a total of 361,000 beds.
• Other Permanent Housing: Provide long-term housing for the homeless, with a total of 36,000 beds.

Source

Oregon Homelessness Statistics

Photo Source

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

Xinru Lu Credits

A way to help homeless is change "look"

 

    As we all know, people have negative stereotypes about homeless people, and this is difficult to change in a short period of time. So, why not make people cannot identity homeless people? There was a test, that someone change to a different appearances and then go to the street and pretend to fall, to see if there are passers-by who will help. The result is intuitive, people are more willing to help and approach better-dressed people. The protection that homeless people can get is often the most basic survival need. It can help but won't make them live better that won't be look as "homeless". Thus, it would be very helpful to have a place where homeless people can clean their personal hygiene. Today, public health becomes extremely important during the epidemic. We can use it to suggest that Portland open public baths for homeless people, and cooperate with related charitable organizations to get clean clothes.  

Photo Source

https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/homeless-people-hospitalized-covid-19

Xinru Lu Credits

Black Resilience Fund

Black Resilience Fund is a local program in Portland, OR that provides mutual aid and resources to Black Portlanders. 

“Black Resilience Fund is dreaming for a lasting impact in the Portland region. In the face of persistent systemic inequities, we lift up community solutions for reparations-inspired action– free from bureaucracy and honoring the vital contributions of our Black communities.

​

The difference we’ve made in the lives of Black Portlanders gives us hope that healing is possible. While Portland is a city with a somber history of discrimination, we are also known as the City of Bridges. 

 

For all of our futures, let’s make Portland a bridge for racial justice.”

-Black Resilience Fund

On top of providing monetary aid from donations to help pay for things like rent, electricity bills, and moving costs, Black Resilience Fund also partners with food suppliers to provide food boxes which are delivered by volunteers two times a week. These food boxes include fresh vegetables, proteins, and other healthy options to make meals from. Though the food boxes get delivered, a house address isn’t required because they also cater to people experiencing houselessness. 

Black Resilience Fund is doing community based work to lift up the Black community in Portland. 

If you are interested in volunteering, there are a number of opportunities available here: https://www.blackresiliencefund.com/volunteer 

If you are interested in donating, they accept monetary donations here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/brown-hope/black-resilience-fund-2021 and goods and services here: https://www.blackresiliencefund.com/donate-mutual-aid 

Check out the mutual aid Black Resilience Fund provided in their first year:

(instagram.com/blackresiliencefund)

From a Backyard Planter to Frontlines Against Food Scarcity

 

    One of the many challenges involved in addressing food scarcity especially with groups that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of nutrition such as the homeless is gaining access to fresh and nutrition-heavy foods. People in Oregon are supporting their local shelters and food banks through production in their own backyards. Oftentimes at home gardeners run into a dilemma of more produce than a single household can consume. Balancing a garden to account for the amount of food produced used to be a major concern for gardeners to prevent food waste. One way gardeners are re-routing these overages is to local food banks, shelters and kitchens. Doing so allows individuals to directly impact the lives of others around them and to improve the community at large all while indulging in a rewarding hobby of gardening. Food banks have developed easy-to-use online programs to help get gardeners in contact with a local food bank to partner on sharing some produce. One Such program is the food finder resource from the Oregon food bank’s website. Such programs allow for more nutritious food to be circulated throughout the community, allowing for food banks to access fresh cost-effective product that is made locally. Best of all it allows anyone with a planter and a green thumb to become involved in their community. Food banks recommend reaching out to learn what the community needs for products and how to prep and schedule delivery of produce. 

Sources:

https://www.oregonlive.com/hg/2021/04/consider-food-banks-as-you-plan-your-vegetable-garden-heres-how-you-can-help.html

https://foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org/

Image Source:

https://modernfarmer.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/backyard-garden.jpg

Quinn Wildschut Credits

Portland's Storied Dichotomy Between Homeless Individuals and the Law

 

    For decades Portland has struggled with a prevalent homeless population. The city has come leaps and bounds both in its acceptance of homeless individuals and the ways in which they monitor different facets of the community. From 2013 to 2015 Multnomah Portland and Gresham countries conducted a point in time count in the homeless population and found that 49% of these individuals were unsheltered. Today the number of homeless individuals has increased due to the onset of the pandemic, in combination with a decrease in job opportunities and volunteer support many more have been forced back onto the streets often in unsheltered situations. Due to this many have congregated into tent camps that pop up often by underpasses or near major roadways. Until recently police forces were largely responsible for the removal of these encampments. Thanks to a new house Bill introduced into the Oregon legislature homeless individuals would no longer be subject to fines or arrest due to camping on public land. Senator Michael Dembrow who introduced the bill pointed out how the city of Portland needs to find ways to address the problem of homelessness while also acknowledging that homeless individuals have needs that need to be addressed. This bill will allow homeless individuals to stay longer on public property without the looming possibility of arrest. Hopefully, this will make these historically hard-to-reach groups easier to contact and more accessible to volunteer groups that assist in providing humanitarian aid in the form of food and hygiene items. It might also allow for a degree of stability needed to pivot back into the workforce or receive the help needed to deal with psychological and substance abuse issues.

Sources:

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/toolkit/article/562207

https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-lawmakers-pass-bill-protecting-homeless-from-fines-arrest-for-camping-in-public

https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2021/06/oregon-will-allow-homeless-individuals-to-pitch-tents-on-public-land-in-all-communities.html

Photo Source:

https://time.com/4598570/seattle-homelessness-sweeps-tent-encampments/

Quinn Wildschut Credits

Awareness of Food Insecurity Among The Houseless Population

SPREADING AWARENESS ABOUT 

FOOD INSECURITY 

and defining homelessness and its attributes are complex and extensive. The day-to-day struggle and the lifetime term effects that take place for the homeless are levels of psychological distress, physical, and physiological changes for an individual without an “adequate fixed or regular residence”, as described by the National Center for Homeless Education. [1]

There are psychological distresses that we learn about that go along with complex eating disorders and people develop these, even when it conveys a social status. These types of psychological disorders may be present in homeless individuals, although, not for the same reasons. Studies show that a homeless person may increase the extent of a mental disorder, if there are eating disorders that arise for the individual struggling with getting the right nutritional resources. [2] 

How is it that people who have home insecurities and nutritional deficiencies correlate?

It can be a factor, but well encountered at times, populations of homelessness, indeed, require dietary restriction options, such as gluten free or vegan diets. [3] Therefore, these, among other dietary restrictions, should be, altogether, requirements and enforcements of healthy food options. Instead of opting for the cheaper option, since those do tend to have ingredients that are not naturally available for the human body.  Soup kitchens are readily available and requesting healthy food, from them, is absolutely acceptable, and no stigmas should be attached! 

But the appalling fact about it all is that food insecurity is growing among everyone and it is becoming more and more disparate! Meaning, that poverty/houseless populations and hunger is unequal in our society. [4] Why are we allowing these inequalities to take place, when having adequate nutrition is a basic human right? 

Ways in which we can move forward for a healthier society, that includes everyone, and ensures the basic living needs for an individual is by coordinating and speaking for the homeless people. Advocating is a force. It is why I find that being an advocate for anyone can be enough to start for help. Using advocacy is so beneficial for people who have been open and ready to take control of their lives but have been suppressed as an individual or for being part of a group. It is important to coordinate community engagements because it can lead to social change. 

Portland Food Resources

http://foodnotbombs.net/new_site/ (MAP INTERACTIVE)

https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank (MAP INTERACTIVE)

https://pdx.eater.com/2020/8/11/21295571/how-to-help-during-pandemic-covid-19-portland (FOOD GUIDE)

https://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/foodbanks/city/or-portland.html (FOOD GUIDE)

https://www.mudbonegrown.com/solidarity-love-shares (BLACK-OWNED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, FAITH-BASED)

http://www.growing-gardens.org/who-we-are-2/ (PARTNERSHIP/SCHOOLS)

https://www.cscoregon.org/ (COMMUNITY CENTER NON-PROFIT)

https://urbangleaners.org/about-us/who-we-are/ (FOOD PROGRAM)

https://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/state/oregon (EMERGENCY SHELTER)

Literature Resources

[1] https://nche.ed.gov/

[2] https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/resources-for-homeless-individuals-struggling-with-an-eating-disorder

[3] https://www.streetsheet.org/few-options-for-those-with-allergies-dietary-restrictions-while-homeless/

[4] https://moveforhunger.org/hunger-and-homelessness

Portland's Solution to Homelessness and Hunger

 

     While traveling through areas of Downtown and Northeast Portland, it is evident that the homelessness crisis is an issue that plagues the city. While Portland has less homeless people compared to other major cities, there is a more visible unsheltered population due to the city's large gap in shelter availability. According to Transition Projects, in 2018 Oregon was 1 of only 4 states to have more than half of their homeless population live unsheltered. The demand for real estate in Portland contributes to the affordable housing crisis. On the top of that living in Portland on a full-time minimum wage salary is unaffordable. The gap between rent and income continues to increase with half of Portland residents spending at least a third of their income on rent. 

    With over 4,000 people experiencing homelessness in Portland alone, the city is making efforts to address these issues. Organizations like A Home for Everyone has worked to house 5,130 people and kept 12,240 others from losing their homes in 2020. The year of 2020 seen a lot of progress to help fight the battle of homelessness in Portland. Oregon voters passed the HereTogether-Metro Regional Supportive Housing Measure in an effort to provide funding to transition people from being houseless. That same year, the Portland City Council also approved a budget that would move $15 million from the police bureau to social services. Four new shelters in Portland were used to provide 500 more beds to those in need.

     Other organizations such as the Oregon Food Bank and Blanchet House work to combat hunger in the state of Oregon. These organizations receive food donations such as canned foods and work to prepare meals for those who can't afford it. About half a million of Oregon's population are food insecure, with almost 200,000 being children. Providing nutrition to those who are suffering will help give them the strength to get back on their feet. We can all make a difference by either donating or volunteer to these programs that are helping our community fight homelessness and hunger.

Sources:

https://www.travelportland.com/homelessness-portland/

https://www.tprojects.org/our-impact/about-homelessness

https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/our-work/hunger-in-oregon/

http://ahomeforeveryone.net/

    

First Managed Homeless Camping Facility Opening Up In Hillsboro

    Everyone living on planet earth is entitled to the basic necessities of food, water, clothing, and shelter. While these basic necessities are often taken for granted by most, many people in our communities struggle to have these needs met. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic making situations tough on individuals, there is still a battle with homelessness nationwide. With various unsanctioned homeless camps popping up throughout the state of Oregon, something needs to be done. Local communities are stepping up to the plate to do what they can to fight this ongoing battle.

    City officials in Hillsboro, Oregon are working to open up the city's first managed homeless camping facility. It is expected to open up in mid-June and will last for about six months when winter shelters become available in December of 2021. Located on an undeveloped grassy field, the camp is expected to give up to thirty campers access to sanitary resources including tents on raised designated platforms, sleeping bags, portable restrooms, and hand washing  stations. City officials have chosen the location in order to limit negative affects on local businesses and residents. Since the property is near Hillsboro's public safety training facility, police will be patrolling the area to make sure the camp is free of pollution, drugs, and violence.

    The project was developed after citizens of Hillsboro urged the city to address a rise in homelessness throughout the city that was likely caused by the pandemic. The camp will be managed by Project Homeless Connect, the same program to host a similar facility started by Washington County back in 2020. While city officials have yet to determine how much it will cost to open the camp, Project Homeless Connect will be working with Washington County hoping that funding from the Metro's Supportive Housing Services measure will go directly to addiction and mental health services at the camp. Since 2019, the city of Hillsboro has spent $440,000 in support of organizations that provide resources to unhoused people.

Sources: https://www.koin.com/local/washington-county/hillsboro-to-open-first-managed-homeless-camping-facility/

https://www.phcwc.org/

 

The Idea of Giving Drirectly, Unconditionally

 The local Portland area publication The Willamette Week has been following developments surrounding a bond measure passed last year that will fund services for houseless individuals in the tri-county Portland region. Since then, there has been much contention between the joint offices tasked with drafting plans on what types of services to provide and how to spend the money. The current proposal places focus on establishing safe resting villages that would provide space for tent and car camping, along with hygiene and case management services. One commentary piece titled, “Why Not Use Homeless Funds to Pay Portlandersto Move Out of Oregon” addresses a fascinating point: "It’s probably a measure of America’s ambivalence about the welfare state that making poor people less poor by giving them money—money you’ve already set aside to fight poverty—is seen as a radical, bordering on insane idea.”

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

 

That article references a recent study conducted in Vancouver, B.C. called the New Leaf Project, conducted by the Foundations for Social Change. The study distributed one-time payments of $7,500 to 50 houseless individuals in the area with no conditions on spending. A control group of 65 individuals who did not receive payments was also established, and both the cash recipients and control group were given access to workshops and life skills trainings. According to the study’s results summary, the cash recipients had improved chances of finding and maintaining stable housing, improved food security, and much of the spending was focused on “recurring staples like housing/rent, food, transportation, and utility bills.” The results also note a 39% reduction in spending on alcohol and drugs, which is an important highlight when a common argument against giving low-income people money is that they will spend it unwisely.

Although not directly related to houselessness, another study titled the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) revealed similar trends in the spending of low-income individuals. In this study, 125 Stockton, CA residents were given an unconditional $500 payment every month for 24 months. The results of the study’s first year have been released, and once again much of the money is shown to have gone toward food security, and the study even identified a “spillover” effect in which households having to rely on others for money or food could now instead become relied upon themselves.

Advocates for direct cash transfers take care to stress that there is no simple one-point approach to ending houselessness or poverty. The conclusion of the SEED results summary suggests that:

“Additional policies to implement alongside a guaranteed income include: protection against predatory financial actors and instruments like caps on adjustable interest, second-chance banking, third-party targeting of financially vulnerable populations, and exorbitant fines and fees from the criminal justice system; address the unique barriers that women face in the market through paid family leave and universal child care; ⁶The most recent RCTs of guaranteed income conducted in the US were the Negative Income Tax Experiments, which concluded in 1982. stocktondemonstration.org mitigating the cost of housing through rental assistance, tenant protections, and increased supply of housing; and ensure that labor is fairly compensated through a higher minimum wage. All polices should help build an economy that works for everyone, and is rooted in equity for traditionally marginalized populations.”

In an interview with Vox relating to the New Leaf Project, Doctor Gary Bloch (who “prescribes money to low-income patients”) stresses that, “the solution to homelessness is housing…especially in a city like Vancouver where housing supply is low and rents are astronomical, it will be very hard to sustain a homelessness intervention without offering long-term affordable housing.” Still, the short-term benefits of providing houseless and low-income individuals with unconditional cash, such as becoming more  food and housing-secure, should not be understated. Further, these types of studies should help break the dangerous stigma surrounding those who are houseless or living in poverty as individuals with poor morals, when they are simply individuals in need of assistance.

Like author Marty Smith stated in his Willamette Week piece, dedicating all the funds to direct payments is unlikely to yield entirely successful results, but perhaps the idea of giving people exactly what they need directly, as opposed to through services and institutions, shouldn’t be entirely discarded either.

 

Sources and Further Reading:

https://forsocialchange.org/new-leaf-project-overview

https://www.givedirectly.org/research-on-cash-transfers/

https://rooseveltinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/RI-No-Strings-Attached-201705.pdf

https://www.stocktondemonstration.org/

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/21528569/homeless-poverty-cash-transfer-canada-new-leaf-project

Nutrition's Role in Substance Abuse

One of the most dangerous lines of thinking about the homeless is the stereotype that being homeless inherently means one is or was on drugs. A KOMO News Article called "Seattle is Dying" estimates that 100% of homeless people are drug users. This is violently untrue. In fact, Banyan Treatment Center estimates that only 26% of the homeless population abuses drugs. One other thing that must be considered is why people are abusing drugs? BTC estimates that 25-33% of the homeless population struggles with mental health issues that could have caused drug abuse before or after becoming homeless. Many also likely turn to drugs after becoming homeless because of onset depression, anxiety, or general hopelessness. 

    The unfortunate reality is that these stigmas get in the way of many people helping. It is not uncommon to hear things like "all homeless people are drug addicts," or "why should I be giving my money to someone who's just going to spend it on drugs?" However, these kinds of things neglect the actual issue. Why are homeless people more likely to end up with substance abuse problems more than housed individuals? According to the same BTC study, only 15% of the general population suffers from drug abuse. 

    One thing that can help is better nutrition. Dietitians can help treat the underlying causes of substance abuse, (like anxiety or depression) by crafting a diet around the person's unique needs. Drugs can sometimes affect a person's appetite, and can hurt metabolic regulation. If the drugs affect one's appetite, then they won't eat as often, or as well, and it will continue the depressive cycle of drug abuse. Helping get people on the right path with a healthy diet can restore nutrients that have been lacking due to substance abuse or current diet. This will help battle depression and anxiety, as these can be perpetuated or even caused outright by poor dieting. 

    Knowing how much a healthy diet can help those in need is only part of the puzzle. Most homeless people don't have the luxury of being able to afford a dietitian, and even if they could talk to one, many would be unable to get stable access to clean and healthy foods needed for the diet. One thing that could be done is expanding things food banks, soup kitchens, and shelters, as well as donating better quality food and supplies to these places. Unfortunately, I was not able to find any resources on dietitians or nutritionists working with homeless people, but that would also be extremely helpful if it were done. 

Sources:

https://komonews.com/news/local/komo-news-special-seattle-is-dying

https://www.uwkc.org/news/are-all-homeless-people-drug-addicts/

https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/120914p44.shtml#:~:text=Macro%2D%20and%20micronutrient%20deficiencies%20can,alcohol%20or%20trigger%20a%20relapse.

https://www.banyantreatmentcenter.com/2020/07/01/a-look-at-homeless-addicts-philadelphia/

Ethan Conrad Credits

 

Nonprofit highlight: How Sisters of the Road fights back against systemic food scarcity

by Kayla Meeko 

 “Sisters of the Road does not exist to be a cafe; we exist to build relationships.”

-On the Ground (documentary)

This moto sums up the values that Sandy Gooch and Genevieve Nelson founded their non-profit cafe upon. Since its founding in 1979, Portland's Sisters of the Road has prided itself with being the first non-profit dining facility in the nation to accept food stamps as payment for entrees. In addition to food stamps as payment, Sisters of the Road provides a barter exchange program that offers free fresh meals and farmer’s market produces in exchange for labor at the cafe. They also host a community garden where the food for their kitchen is harvested. Recognizing their mission as “food justice”, their bio states a belief that “everyone has a piece of the truth and that we are all more than the sum of our current situation or past experiences.” The cafe offers a safe and violence-free setting where everyone is welcome to come abide and enjoy a meal. The nonprofit is currently hosting their annual Full Plate Project, which invites donors to help fight food scarcity by contributing to community outreach.

Mission Statement: 

“Sisters of the Road exists to build authentic relationships and alleviate the hunger of isolation in an atmosphere of nonviolence and gentle personalism that nurtures the whole individual, while seeking systemic solutions that reach the roots of homelessness and poverty to end them forever.”

In 2001, Sisters of the Road launched the Community Organizing Project. They conducted 600 interviews with people who were experiencing homelessness and developed a community-advocacy group. These interviews were completed in 2004 and the information collected was used for qualitative research on homelessness by the University of Washington at Tacoma School of Urban Studies. In 2007 a book entitled Voices From the Street, Truths About Homelessness from Sisters of the Road was published about the research project. In 2013, the business transitioned to a staff collective before launching the Healthy Plate Project and beginning to focus on Food Justice programming. The community garden was planted in 2015. Along with Food Justice outreach, Sisters does much to uncover the realities and root causes of houselessness in Portland.