Housing First: What Is It and How Can We Help?

 

What is Housing First?

Housing First is an approach to aiding homelessness through providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness. It operates under the assumption that housing is a basic necessity that if not addressed makes even basic tasks more difficult, if not impossible, to perform. Some even advocate for free/affordable housing for all Americans.

https://endhomelessness.org/resource/housing-first/ https://berniesanders.com/issues/housing-all/

Does Housing First Work?

Some have advocated for Treatment First policies, such as the local government in Florida state. Devon Kurtz, the policy director for public safety at the Cicero Institute claims "The problem with Housing First is not so much just the idea that housing is an important component of this, but that it’s the only thing that matters." Yet, according to The Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), several studies have found that, compared with the treatment first model, Housing First approaches offer greater long-term housing stability, especially among people experiencing chronic homelessness. Programs may also reduce costs by shortening stays in hospitals, residential substance abuse programs, nursing homes, and prisons. As well as successfully house people with intersecting vulnerabilities, such as veterans and people with a history of substance abuse, mental illness challenges, domestic violence, and chronic medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS. Housing Navigation Program Director Beth Olson in Fargo North Dakota says that "Housing first has been incredibly successful. About 90% of the people that we serve are maintaining their housing for over a year."

https://wng.org/roundups/states-seek-alternatives-to-failed-housing-first-strategy-1733951205

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/em/spring-summer-23/highlight2.html

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/explaining-the-housing-first-homeless-solution/ar-AA1vDsjz

How Can We Help Advocate for Housing First?

Outside of voting and advocating for Housing First or affordable housing to our local representatives, there's work that can be done. Housing First initiatives are constantly looking for volunteers and donations. Path Home, a Portland based operation, has links to both donations and volunteer work. This work ranges from helping in kitchens to acting as a guardian for children facing homelessness. If you happen to be outside of the Portland metro area I strongly recommend looking into other organizations that advocate for Housing First and see how you can assist in their efforts. For Portland readers please click the link below to check out their volunteer work or click the "Give" button in the top right corner of their page to donate today!

https://www.path-home.org/become-a-volunteer 

Why Do People Become Homeless in Portland? A Look at Root Causes- Albori Amir

 

Why Do People Become Homeless in Portland? A Look at Root Causes

Homelessness is a visible crisis here within Portland. Many seem to ask the “how” but never the “why”. Understanding why people become homeless is another reason. Everyone's story is different and coming to understand and accept this is the first step to not only understand but also become more empathetic. Within this post, we’re going to take a deep dive into the root causes of homelessness within our beautiful city. 

The Housing Crisis

Portland's housing market has become one of the fastest growing in the nation. Seeing thousands of new residents looking forward to moving in. On the other side of the coin due to so many new residents moving in, and not enough job opportunities, housing prices are increasing. This double edged sword is one of the main reasons our fellow Portland residents are ending up homeless. Many residents find themselves relying on unstable employment in a growing and expensive city. 

Mental Health and Addiction

Mental Health and addiction are again a massive reason for why individuals end up homeless here in Portland. Oregon, more specifically the Portland metropolitan area has a depression percentage of 24.5 percent, making it the 6th worse in the country. Many of Portland's mental health resources are stretched out pretty thin already, this is leaving residents having to battle illnesses like depression, anxiety,schizophrenia all by themselves. 

Another factor leading into homelessness is addiction, many residents here in Portland struggle with addiction. With Portland being one of the most drug heavy cities here within the United States, it's one of the leading factors into homelessness. But, it's important to understand how these addictions start, most of the time this addiction stems from self treatment of underlying mental health issues to find a sense of relief and an escape from their hardships. More often than not sadly this self medication takes turns for the worse and over time leads to full blown addictions, when these addictions take over it becomes their top priority to fulfill their needs oftentimes leading to them leaving work and not being able to maintain their way of life.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violences is another reason that's leading to homelessness here within Portland. Oftentimes sadly homelessness is the outcome to women and children trying to escape a domestic and abusive relationship. Without support networks and systems, they often end up in shelters on the streets. 

Systemic Inequality

Within Portland a majority of the homeless population falls into one of these three categories, People of color, LGBTQ+, and retired veterans. Historical inequities, discrimination, and lack of access to resources compound the challenges these groups face. Portland being known for its diversity and still being one of the most racist and microaggression heavy cities is still a major backward step.  These barriers make it difficult for those to find stable careers as well as housing, leading to more homelessness. 

Lack of Social Safety Nets

Portland does have social safety although they always do fall short for its residents. There is a limited availability for these resources, and because of how limited they are, many residents find themselves trying to overcompensate and tackle all that's going on by themselves, sadly they end up falling short and the path to homelessness begins to take its course. 

Tackling the Root Causes

Tackling a big issue such as homelessness here within Portland, sounds easier said than done. This problem requires an all hands on deck approach and will take community efforts from every corner of Portland to change, however it's definitely possible. Tackling these problems will allow us to move forward and begin steeping in the right direction. 

Expand Affordable Housing: By increasing the availability of low income housing, many residents will find themselves being under roofs. 

Strengthen Social Services: Strengthening these social services to build up and help those in need. This includes, mental health services, housing services, food services, edt.

Promoting Economic stability : Advocating for liveable wages, will allow for those who are working and have stable careers to maintain their stability. 

Homelessness within Portland is an issue without a single solution and that will require community efforts to move in the right direction. By addressing these reasons above this issue will slowly but surely be a problem of the past. 

Encampment Sweeps: What Are They and What Can Be Done?

                

   

What's an Encampment Sweep?

    Encampment sweeps are when our local government orchestrate a forced removal of homeless people and their property from either private or public spaces. The amount of notice given to the victims and what happens their property can vary between cities. The affect of these sweeps can not only be emotionally destructive, but also life threatening to the homeless population.

https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/NHCHC-encampment-sweeps-issue-brief-12-22.pdf

How Have Sweeps Affected Portland?

    The sweeps performed in the second half of 2023 in Portland were estimated to have affected about 5,800 people. Not only was the amount of displaced citizens increasingly high, the city also failed to keep track of the displaced. The city only accounted for those who attended Multnomah County’s four large shelters, this impacted the city's ability to calculate how many people were ideally sent to a shelter for assistance.

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2024/01/portland-intensified-tent-sweeps-in-2023-but-failed-to-track-where-people-ended-up.html

What Can We Do To Help?

    Citizens have started acting on their own, organizing a volunteer group titled SW Outreach. This group aids the homeless population by providing necessities and assisting in find shelters. They claim that these sweeps are antithetical to their efforts in aiding people. They say that keeping track is impossible when people are constantly being displaced by the local government.

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/portland-homeless-camp-removals/283-05437602-7b67-43a8-b9ec-75d664809f75

    According to the American Public Health Association, the most evidence supported actions that can be done to address these issues starts with housing first. This is the act of giving people without a home permanent housing and supportive services, simply based off the belief that housing is a human right. They also advocate for providing services to people with physical or mental health disabilities or any subpopulation in need of aid. 

https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2024/01/16/displacement-of-encampments#:~:text=%5B26%5D%20Peer%2Dreviewed%20evidence,services%20to%20subpopulations%2C%20including%20people

    For more information on how truly disruptive these sweeps are I highly recommend reading this article that sites a multitude of instances where very important necessities were taken during one of these sweeps. 

https://projects.propublica.org/homeless-encampment-sweeps-taken-belongings/ 

REAL STORIES FROM THE STREETS OF PORTLAND

I decided I wanted to make a documentary on the streets of Portland where I could have a hands on approach to this class and interview the actual people we are trying to help. At first I thought it would be a simple task, but after hitting the streets and being repeatedly rejected I realized the task was going to be harder then I had anticipated. My original intention was to interview people eating at a local soup kitchen but was told after arriving that I was not allowed to film inside. The only content I was able to capture at soup kitchen was the films piano soundtrack which I recorded during my visit (someone was performing on piano for the people eating). The following day I went out to try to talk to the community. For the first few hours I wasn't able to obtain a single interview but after multiple hours of trying I was finally able to find subjects. This documentary contains 4 interviews with people living on the streets of Portland. My hope was to humanize these people and make the concept of being homeless in Portland feel less abstract. Here are their stories.

If you felt moved by this film and want to donate or volunteer go to blanchethouse.org.

https://blanchethouse.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAx9q6BhCDARIsACwUxu5BoCHEYwNq2UPSsdY21O1tG4v0eUY-SJMx14pvQWxHymSzMEJKimIaAspqEALw_wcB

Braving the Cold: Healthcare Challenges for Portland's Homeless During Winter

 

Braving the Cold: Healthcare Challenges for Portland's Homeless During Winter

As the temperatures drop in Portland, the city's homeless population faces life-threatening conditions. Without adequate shelter, individuals are at high risk for hypothermia and frostbite. In January 2024, four people in Portland died from suspected hypothermia during a severe cold snap. 

https://www.kgw.com/article/weather/severe-weather/warming-shelters-homeless-people-portland-hypothermia/283-f04268f4-7256-4bdc-9717-711b6b9c298c

Health Risks in Harsh Weather

Exposure to freezing temperatures can lead to hypothermia, where the body loses heat faster than it can produce, causing dangerously low body temperatures. Frostbite, the freezing of skin and underlying tissues, is another serious risk. These conditions can develop rapidly, especially among those without proper clothing or shelter. 

STREET ROOTS

https://www.streetroots.org/news/2022/12/21/extreme-cold-resources

Barriers to Healthcare Access

Homeless individuals often face significant barriers to accessing healthcare, including lack of transportation, limited information about available services, and mistrust of the healthcare system. During severe weather, these barriers are exacerbated, making it even more challenging for them to seek necessary medical attention. 

https://www.koin.com/news/homeless/i-cant-feel-my-feet-portlands-homeless-face-cold-temps-ice-after-shelters-close/

Community Responses

In response to extreme cold, Multnomah County and the City of Portland have declared emergencies and opened warming shelters. However, these measures sometimes fall short. For instance, in January 2024, warming shelters closed while temperatures remained dangerously low, leaving many without safe refuge. 

The Role of Street Medicine

Street medicine teams play a crucial role in providing care to the homeless during winter. They offer on-site medical services, distribute warm clothing, and educate individuals about the signs of hypothermia and frostbite. However, the demand often exceeds their capacity, highlighting the need for more resources and support.

Call to Action

The challenges faced by Portland’s homeless population during winter are immense, but there are ways to make a difference. By supporting local organizations and advocating for expanded shelter services, you can help ensure that everyone has access to warmth and care. Visit Multnomah County's Care for When It's Cold page to learn how you can directly impact the lives of Portland's most vulnerable residents. Every small action—whether it’s donating, volunteering, or simply spreading the word—can help someone survive the harsh winter months.

https://www.multco.us/care-when-its-cold

Rethinking Homelessness: Solutions Beyond Stereotypes

 

Growing concerns around homelessness in Portland, Oregon have led many residents to adopt jaded, and often spiteful, attitudes towards people living in the streets of the city. A 2023 survey revealed that Portlanders view homelessness and the escalated cost of living as the city’s biggest issues, leading to widespread dissatisfaction with local government actions. Another recent poll found that a majority of residents favor fining and arresting homeless campers, despite the city’s lack of safe shelters or other alternatives.

These frustrations have spurred calls for more extreme measures, including increased policing and anti-camping laws, as band aid solutions to the homelessness crisis. However, such approaches fail to address the root causes of homelessness and often perpetuate the cycle of displacement and instability. In order to find humane solutions, we need to understand the underlying symptoms of homelessness and dispute anti-homeless attitudes.

Understanding the Root Causes

Homelessness is a multifaceted issue influenced by various factors, and understanding these factors is the first step towards sustainable change. Portland has experienced one of the nation’s highest cost-of-living increases over the past decade, with the median household income falling significantly below the necessary amount to sustain a family of four. Simultaneously, the city is suffering from housing shortages that have driven up costs, making it increasingly difficult for residents to afford stable housing. To make matters worse, many individuals experiencing homelessness grapple with mental health issues and substance abuse, which are often exacerbated by a lack of access to adequate healthcare services. This combination of economic instability, housing shortages, and health challenges can be directly linked to the dramatic surge in homelessness in the last few years.

Shifting Perspectives for Effective Solutions

To effectively address homelessness in Portland, it’s crucial to move beyond punitive measures and adopt compassionate, evidence-based strategies. One such strategy is to invest in affordable housing, since exorbitant housing costs affect many of the city’s residents. Allocating resources to develop affordable housing units can provide long-term stability for those on the brink of homelessness. Additionally, enhancing support services such as mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and job training programs can address other underlying issues contributing to the crisis. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we must bolster community engagement. Encouraging community involvement in supportive initiatives fosters empathy and collective responsibility. By enacting solutions that prioritize human dignity and systemic change over scrutiny and punishment, Portland can pave the way toward a future where homelessness is addressed at its core.

How You Can Make a Difference

As Portlanders, we have the power and the responsibility to make meaningful change. One contribution you can make is supporting local policies that prioritize affordable housing and comprehensive support services over punitive measures. Engaging with organizations dedicated to assisting individuals experiencing homelessness is another way you can offer your skills and compassion to help those in need. If nothing else, educating yourself and others on the complexities of homelessness helps combat stigma and promote understanding. By embracing a compassionate and informed approach, we can work together towards a Portland where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Sources:

Oregon Live

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2024/05/portlanders-continue-to-view-homelessness-as-a-very-serious-problem-poll-finds.html

https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2023/05/portland-area-poll-finds-huge-appetite-for-tougher-tactics-on-homelessness.html

OPB

https://www.opb.org/article/2023/08/01/portland-homeless-camps-cost-of-living-oregon/

PTSD in Homeless Veterans

 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) rates are extremely high among veterans across the United States. Soldiers coming home from war often have a difficult time transitioning back into civilian life because of the physical and psychological trauma that they experience while deployed. PTSD is also a significant factor contributing to homelessness among veterans, as the scars of combat lead to difficulties in maintaining stable relationships, employment, and housing.

The Link Between PTSD and Homelessness

Studies indicate that veterans are disproportionately represented in the homeless population, with PTSD playing a critical role. The American Psychology Association reports that about two-thirds of homeless Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer from PTSD, an enormous leap from the 8%-13% rates of the disorder in earlier veteran cohorts.

The situation in Portland echoes these national trends. The Portland Rescue Mission notes that over the course of about three years, veterans struggling with PTSD often encounter employment difficulties, a decay in their supportive relationships, and an increase in substance abuse. These factors create a dangerous pathway to homelessness.

Local Efforts to Address the Crisis

There are several organizations in Portland that are dedicated to assisting homeless veterans grappling with PTSD. Do Good Multnomah is a nonprofit organization that partners with community organizers to provide permanent supportive housing and low-barrier emergency shelters to homeless veterans. They are dedicated to improving the lives of our veterans, emphasizing relationship-building and individualized support through their programs. The VA Portland Health Care System offers a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team (PCT) involving therapists, doctors, and chaplains who specialize in assessing, diagnosing, and treating PTSD among veterans. Additionally, the Portland Vet Center provides confidential counseling for veterans and their families to address issues such as depression and PTSD. They work with the VA and the local community to connect veterans with additional support.

How to Help Veterans in Your Community

Addressing PTSD among homeless veterans requires effort from a supportive community, and there are many ways you can contribute. Volunteering your time and skills to organizations like Do Good Multnomah supports their programs and services and connects you with people in need of caring relationships. Furthermore, donations to local nonprofits enable them to expand their reach and provide essential services to veterans in need. At the very least, raising awareness about the challenges faced by veterans with PTSD can help to enhance mental health services and housing solutions.

Countless veterans put their lives on the line in the interest of protecting our communities, and it’s time we return the favor. By uniting as a community, we can ensure that those who have served our country receive the support and care they deserve, creating a future where no veteran is left without a home.

Sources:

https://portlandrescuemission.org/news/about-homelessness/the-new-wave-of-veteran-homeless/

https://www.dogoodmultnomah.org/ 

https://www.va.gov/portland-health-care/programs/ptsd-clinical-team-pct/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4521393/

Homeless Housing - From Tiny Homes to 24/7 Care Facilities

 

America and the Homeless Housing Crisis:

                In the United States, we have historically had less housing dedicated to housing homeless people in comparison to the rest of the world. This is due to the fact that we as a country are unwilling to consolidate funds for homeless shelters. Here in Portland, the local government has decided to buy tents for thew homeless to give them some shelter from the rain and cold. However, living in a tent in the streets is hardly a way to live. In the end what we have come up with are tiny homes for homeless people. These houses are little more than a small shed in a vacant lot surrounded by other tiny sheds serving the same purpose.

The problem with Tiny Houses:

                The concept of these tiny houses is great. They offer a small space to sleep and some hygiene services all while you live in a small community of people in similar situations to your own. One of the problems with this type of housing is they only offer housing for 6 months to a year, but many people have been homeless for much longer than that. How are people supposed to turn around their life if they are offered a hard deadline for when they need to become a productive person in society? Another one of the problems is that about half of the people who go through these tiny home shelter programs go straight back out to the streets after their time there. This is a decent statistic, however the amount of money invested into such projects and the value extracted are heavily weighted to being cost inefficient. Even at the low-cost investment of these tiny home villages they only have a fifty percent success rate – which would be a failure fifty percent of the time. These are not good figures to defend these tiny home projects as something that can endure in the long run. Another main problem with these communities is that they require more land area than a typical homeless shelter because they have no possibility of expanding upwards in levels.

 

What is the Solution?

                Part of the solution is that we need housing that also offers easy access to physical and medical treatments. One criterion for these housing projects would be they need to be in a dense urban environment setting where there are plenty of jobs within a walkable distance. These services would help people facing homelessness get back on their feet in a comfortable and safe manner at their own pace. One solution from Seattle is to use an older building and convert it to a 24/7 in patient housing for homeless called the Navigation Center. The Navigation Center is focused on bringing up to 74 people into the housing project at a time and offering a wholistic approach to solving homelessness. They do this by offering healthcare services, low barrier to entry as well as helping people find jobs in the downtown area of Seattle, Washington.

 

Sources:

https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2023/05/17/safe-rest-village-portland-oregon-success-homelessness

https://www.portland.gov/ryan/saferestvillages

https://www.desc.org/what-we-do/survival-services/navigation-center/

 

Homelessness and Addiction: It Could Happen to Anyone

Causes of Addiction:

With the ever-growing homeless population around the United States and especially here in Portland, Oregon, there is a common problem that tie many homeless cases together. This problem is addiction; A Majority of homeless people will suffer from one form of addiction or another over the course of their lifetimes. This may be due to becoming homeless as an escape from their situation or addiction leads to homelessness as addiction takes over their lives. The problem of addiction is quite a tricky one, because it has many negative connotations associated with it. This means that many people with addictions do not tend to seek help because they are led to believe by societal norms that addiction is bad and therefore, they are bad. However, addiction is a result of our genetic code and our lifestyles and therefore is very hard to break free from.

Comparing systems:

                Here in the U.S., we don’t have many places to go that offer addiction treatment that does not cost an arm and a leg. This is one point of interest where the United States differs from many other places around the world. Places like Denmark, and other European countries offer addiction and medical treatments for little to nothing because they know that people in these addictive situations have a very hard time pulling themselves out and becoming a productive member of society.

 A Correction is Needed:

                So, what is the solution, you may ask? Well for starters we should start investing more in public infrastructure that focuses on keeping people healthy for a low monetary value. Here in the U.S., we have become so accustomed to the fact that a trip to the doctor’s office could cost tens of thousands of dollars. But this doesn’t need to be the case because many places all over the world have free access to healthcare for all their citizens. We as a country need to start a movement towards bettering the health of all our citizens through easier access to healthcare and treatments. This in turn will help homeless populations that suffer from addictions and medical ailments to have easier access to help and treatment, because as of right now some are being turned away from hospitals due to the fact that they have no money or the hospitals don’t have the capacity for them.

 

Sources:

https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2020/04/feature-forum-costliest-health-care

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/homeless