Housing As A Right: Portland's Fight for Progressive Programs

Housing Protestor on the Steps of Portland City Hall, 2020
Source: Ben McCanna

 By Jason Dailey

The Problem

Access to housing and shelter are an inarguable need for the maintenance of human life. A way to protect oneself from the elements is something that many modern residents of the United States take for granted despite over 60% of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck, and seeing an ever-increasing number of houseless people in their everyday lives. In 2023, houselessness jumped 12%, the highest increase in the number of houseless people in the history of the United States. In Portland, between 2015 and 2023, homelessness increased by 65%. The issue of houselessness and home-deprivation stems from the contradictions inherent in a neoliberal capitalist regime, a system that pits the doctrine of infinite growth against the realities of a finite planet. Access to shelter becomes a speculative profit-machine which rewards individuals or conglomerates that hoard massive amounts of homes and hold them for ransom to drive-up their monetary value. This is exemplified by the disparity between the houseless population and number of vacant units, which, in Portland, is 6,297 to 49,797. 

It cannot be argued that real estate and housing speculation has made a tiny handful of people incredibly wealthy at the expense of the livelihood and lives of regular working class people. Even when mired by the fallout of this reality, it's hard for Americans to picture another system; they have been told all their lives that despite the inherent failings of laissez faire capitalism, it's still the best system we got. This was often backed-up by generally misleading graphs and statistics that show how 'prosperous' the U.S. is because of GDP figures. The reality is, capital accumulation has slowed for everyone but the richest .1%. From 2010 to 2020, home only 10.1 millions more Americans became homeowners, which is the slowest increase of gross home ownership of any decade since 1950. This has culminated in a home ownership rate of 66%, the 7th lowest out of all similarly developed nations. As homes and apartment blocs go unused, the construction of new homes releases 50 million tons of carbon emissions every year, which is actively harming the global ecosystem, the consequences of which must are felt most intensely by houseless individuals who are forced to brave ever-worsening weather 'anomalies' every year, dying by the thousands every couple of years.

Along with this, American police, who contribute to the 70% of  total global emissions from militarized law-enforcement programs, are often funded by major oil corporations, who pay for city police to crackdown on popular civilian opposition and to turn a blind-eye to corruption and monetary scandals. 

Climate Impact of New Homes Construction
Source: RMI

The Workers

Despite the dire straits that much of the country, including Portland, find themselves in regarding dealing with the consequences of a viciously inflated housing bubble, there are thousands of Portlanders who devote their time and energy in helping care for their houseless neighbors and fight to end the abhorrent system that concentrates wealth and power into the hands of the most privileged. 

The different counties of Oregon have their own resources for the houseless, but mutual aid programs and community led and organized movements have been gaining momentum over the past four years as COVID-19 decimated the fragile peace that thousands of Portlanders had on housing, employment, and medical care. One of the most popular and fastest growing organization is the Portland Street Response (PSR), a team of trained professionals, organized by Street Roots Advocacy,
who maintain a goal to prevent unnecessary violence and de-escalation tactics when dealing with non-violent disturbances, many of which involve the homeless.

Portland Street Response in Action
Source: Oregon Live

The Portland Police are infamous for murdering a frankly disturbing number of houseless and mentally ill people, which often escalates tensions between the houseless community and the police while costing Portland taxpayers millions of dollars in damages and settlements. The Portland Street Response team handles the houseless community with much more care. 89% of all PSR calls do not require the intervention of police with 65% of calls involving a houseless person with zero arrests made. Along with this, in 2022, PSR were able to assist 9 people in securing permanent housing. Their website, with portals to endorse their mission, volunteer, and otherwise support their cause can be found here.

Member of SE Uplift
Source: Facebook

Another community coalition that has been fighting for housing rights and the development of more equitable neighborhoods is Southeast (SE) Uplift. SE Uplift is a group of community members that work to provide financial assistance to residents of Southeast Portland. They provide grants to people who are currently financially struggling to maintain shelter, help cover insurance costs for at-risk individuals, advocate for cheap and accessible public transportation, as well as the development of affordable housing infrastructure. They also provide community members with connections to other independent organizations for access to healthcare and nutrition. Anyone who is interested in their mission can digitally join their meetings every fourth Monday of every month on Zoom with the meeting ID:  991 0932 5940. 

What's It All For?

The fight for equitable housing and the idea that housing is a human right has it's roots in in every historic revolutionary ideal of the modern era. We see and feel the fact that neoliberalism has outlived it's usefulness every single day. In the era of deindustrialization, the contradictions and segregations of modern society become more intense. The American middle-class has all but disappeared into the annals of history. It is now impossible to rent a home anywhere in the country on a minimum wage, and one personal or familial medical problem could mean the loss of employment, housing, medical coverage, and prospects for 66% of Americans. As access to housing is paramount in living a standard quality of life, the way we view and interact with housing must change to one of a human right. The only way this can be done is through strict organization, education, and direct action. The lives of tens of thousands of Americans and the wellbeing of our environment is in our hands, we have to band together and act as a unified force against the reactionary, exploitative forces of private capital, because our lives, and the life of our home planet depend on it. 

Concerns Are Raised Over the Clinton Triangle Homeless Campsite

  In an effort to ban homeless camping on the streets of Portland, Mayor Ted Wheeler announces 

the location of the first city-sanctioned houseless camp. The first proposed mass camp is on the 

Eastside on the private property known as the Clinton Triangle. The Clinton Triangle is one of six 

proposed temporary camps to eliminate camping within the eighteen-month deadline and 27 

million dollar budget set in November. The site will likely accommodate up to 150 people and is 

placed next to transportation and community services and will have security on site 24 hours a 

day. 

 

     

    This raises concern for houseless people and businesses alike: many houseless people feel that

placing them in a camp is counterproductive and limits their freedoms, and surrounding 

businesses refuse to go on record in fear of backlash. It has not gone unnoticed that one of 

Portland’s biggest problems is the housing crisis, Still, the implications of on-site security and 

being on private property are valid concerns for the safety of houseless people who have a tense

relationship with law enforcement, businesses, and Mayor Wheeler alike. Many believe that these 

efforts should be reconsidered with the humanity of homeless people in mind. 

Read more on the Clinton Triangle

Follow us on Twitter for more updates

 https://twitter.com/ecopolproject 

What Makes a Home: Stability, Safety, and Peace

To most people, homelessness is defined by the lack of a brick-and-mortar shelter. This is certainly the biggest defining factor of the issue, but homes are so much more than the structure itself. A home is where one builds their life, where memories are made. It's both a financial and emotional investment, with both factors growing over time and making the home, well, homier. The "glue" of a home is not the house itself, but one's perceived stability in this space. A home is defined by the feeling of safety exactly where you are, knowing nothing can tear you away or invade your peace. 

Homeless individuals are deprived of far more than a house; to be deprived of a home is to be deprived of safety, stability, and peace of mind. In most developed communities, there is a large focus on promoting local homeless shelters to keep people off the streets. This is a good first step towards giving the homeless physical safety, but shelters are largely temporary. The true end-goal to solving homelessness is not just keeping homeless individuals off the streets, but guiding them towards permanent housing so they may have the stability they need to make it a home. Organizations such as JOIN have focused their mission specifically on providing permanent housing for those in need. They recognize the importance of a stable home environment and place great value on empowering their clients as the real "agents of change" in their partnership. To learn more about JOIN's efforts here in Portland, you may visit their website here.

-Nathan Hammer

Homelessness is Not an Individual Choice--It's a Systemic Failure

    The public too often frowns upon the homeless as if their dilemma is a lifestyle choice. They are told getting a job is easy if you "just pull yourself up by your bootstraps," but there's a glaring error in that expression; it's an impossible task, literally and metaphorically. A self-sustained rise out of homelessness is little more than a fantasy today, largely due to the ways in which the system works against those in poverty. The homeless are antagonized for the large-scale failings of our own governmental systems. These systems have failed to sustain even the middle-class, but what's worse is that this isn't technically a "failure" of any kind; these failings are often by design, working exactly as intended to maintain a status quo protecting the privileged and powerful. 

    Recent events have proven this mindset is extremely prevalent among our police. Their typical solution for homelessness is not solving the problem itself, but rather forcing homeless communities to move elsewhere, destroying their things and violently threatening them in the process. This "out of sight, out of mind" approach is largely responsible for the individualistic perspective through which the public sees homelessness today. To make things worse, this had led to a general dehumanization of homeless people. Studies have revealed a distinct overlap of violent rhetoric against both black and homeless communities. Racism is often used in junction with barbaric anti-homeless policies, leading to an increase in police violence against these groups. Additionally, minorities are far more likely to be confronted by police or forced into homelessness. The police themselves are contributing to the homeless crisis thanks to their lack of nonviolent training and overabundance of racial profiling. If we want to truly end homelessness, we must also focus on nationwide police reform. 

    It is much easier for the police to avoid accountability for these incidents given their job and status. For this reason, they have succeeded in shifting the blame for crime upticks towards homeless communities. There exists a common belief that most homeless people want to be homeless, despite the inhumane conditions they go through day after day. Why would this belief be so easily accepted as fact? Why do we so often blame the victims? The answer lies in a concept known as the "Blame Frame." We usually associate "good" attributes with members of our own social group, quickly explaining away any bad things that happen to them. If your neighbor gets fired from their job, for example, it's easy to think "maybe their boss was a jerk." This benefit of the doubt almost becomes second-nature bad things happen to "good" people. Those outside our own social groups are treated differently. If they end up in the same situation, one might think "they're just lazy, they don't want to find a job." For some, it can be challenging to imagine circumstances so wildly different from their own; if you and your friends found jobs so easily, why can't they? We all fall into this Blame Frame mentality at one time or another. It's easier to view the world through such a polarizing lens of "good vs bad." In reality, we are all victims of an unjust system designed around this flawed framing.

    When considering homelessness as a widespread systemic issue, some may decide it is too big a problem for them to solve. However, it means exactly the opposite. If homelessness really were an individual choice in every instance, it would be impossible to change the minds of thousands of people all at once. The truth is that homelessness is a mix of societal conflicts and discriminatory policies bundled together, all of which can be influenced by the public. We can advocate for police reform to prevent violent anti-homeless practices, we can vote out authorities with inhumane policies, and we can fund avenues for mental healthcare. There are a number of ways we can change society for the better, all of which will contribute to ending homelessness. Instead of blaming the victims, we can stop this crisis at its source and fight for a system that supports us all. 

Resources:

National Alliance to End Homelessness

"Why Blaming the Homeless Makes People Feel Better"

"Homelessness: The Service Providers' Perspective On Blaming the Victim "

-Nathan Hammer

Veterans: Homeless for Different Reasons than One May Think

        

    Veterans typically make up a disproportionate proportion of the homeless and disadvantaged population in the United States than they typically do of the actual population of the United States, usually differing by double digit percentage points. A research paper in the American Journal of Medicine discusses why a large portion of that may be for a reason different than some of the psychological issues that may immediately come to mind. 

Financial literacy, for example, appears to play a major role in the issue. Many veterans lived in base housing while serving, and did not have to acquire the various financial skills necessary to succeed in our current society. Once they left the military, they were past the age when those skills are typically being learned, and thrust into a world and game that they did not know how to play. They may end up in a debt spiral from payday loans due to a difficulty being employed by employers with a structure different from the military, or they may be in a debt spiral because of bad financial decisions that they had no ability to make better than they had.

The question that we must ask ourselves is, what would it take to pull these people out of the quandary they are in, as well as teach them the life skills that they weren’t necessarily able to acquire while serving or when they were thrust into a world where they were far behind the skill sets of their civilian contemporaries?

This author wonders what you, the reader, think a solution might be?

        To find more information, or to lend a hand, please visit Easter Seals

-KA

ELBOGEN, E. B., SULLIVAN, C. P., WOLFE, J., WAGNER, H. R., & BECKHAM, J. C. (2013). Homelessness and Money Mismanagement in Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans. American Journal of Public Health (1971), 103(S2), S248–S254.

Three Intelligences and Mindfulness of Homeless Populations

Howard Gardner, in the book, Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People's Minds, explains that there are nine different types of intelligences that people gain throughout their lives.

Finding out which type of intelligence one can associate with the most can be quite the trek. Sometimes it may be easier for someone you know to help you find out how well you understand aspects of your own intelligence more than other aspects, and they can be your parents or mentors. When I think of going through a state of survival mode and its methods, it requires types of intelligence that might be more resonating than others to develop in situations that may arise. These survival methods are mostly present in homeless populations, whereas they will need more bodily kinesthetic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal intelligences. These intelligences are ones that may help expand the emotional intelligence and its benefits. 

Homeless populations have reasons for staying. For struggling. All of these reasonings, stories, journeys, will be a reality that others can try and comprehend. For there are fashions for revitalizing the state of mind, just like any other person in a place that may be new or old, comfortable or uncomfortable. The mind is universal. Asides from the other six intelligences that are on the list, the spectrum is the same for everyone’s mind. We all have a brain to use it differently. If we try to learn about how we like to connect our own ideas, we can discover these expansions of the mind and apply them towards helping individuals, ourselves and how we can discover self-help.

The ways we can discover how we think, literally, are to apply mental health topics to service our learning, and also if we are to feed the mind with energy, then the mental energy is manifested into productivity and function. Mental health is, also, an issue amongst homeless populations, as wide studies have shown. We can aid this wide pandemic of mental illness, by trying to open up the possibilities of self-discoveries. 

Homelessness affects 17 out of 10,000 Americans, since 2020. (National Alliance to End Homelessness)

These three intelligences mentioned above, may create goals for groups of people to try and make accomplishments for themselves. The reason why I have chosen them is because, when one is in survival mode, sharpening a bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, with proper nutrition,  becomes simpler to start anything. It becomes well attuned, and eventually it re-energizes for a more active future.

Interpersonal intelligence would be beneficial to practice . This type of intelligence involves interactions with other individuals. We all develop social skills and utilize the knowledge to be able to interact with others, it is something that everyone tends to come across throughout life. Becoming smarter with people and smarter with the interpersonal intelligence is being social smart. One of the best ways to socialize and to share thoughts and times together, share things in common, to commune, is with food. There are aspects of it that bring about a different type of intelligence that is innate. 

Intrapersonal intelligence is possibly the hardest of the three. For truly knowing oneself and being mentally well, can be tricky. But it is achievable to be in a place all alone and in mental solitude, requiring of self-thoughts. And it would be strenuous when one does not have the commodities to stay sane. It would require assembly. That when in a situation which arises like being in a mode of survival, the aid for assembly may be most beneficial through nurture. 

https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2020/

Mutual Aid: Communities Helping Communities

Valentine's Day Weekend was one for the books this year. A large winter storm left Portland under a blanket of ice and snow. Many of our city's citizens were left stranded in their homes for days, often without power or heat. It was a grave reminder of the difficulties the houseless folks in Portland face every winter. A snow day is a rare occasion in Portland, because of this the city is often underprepared for snow and ice, and the ability to offer shelter to those in need with short notice is no exception. The inability to make systemic change within our goverment at a faster pace can be extremely daunting. As we wait for election season, or for bills to become laws, the people who really need things to change continue to suffer. But some Portlander's are taired of creating mutual aid funds. Mutual aid is a way for communities to take control of their own healing. At its core mutual aid is all about reciprocity: the pay it forward movement come to life. Mutual aid is not a new concept, but it really came alive in Portland during the Black Lives Matter movement of summer 2020. The houseless were fed by unemployed line cooks, respirators were donated to families who's homes were most effected by tear gas, and funding was raised to help those arrested during the protest get legal help and pay bail fines. And with the crazy snow this weekend came new forms of community support. Groups like Don't Shoot PDX, PDX Defense Fund, and PDX Free Fridge, who have primarily focussed their energy on aiding BIPOC communities shifted their focus this weekend and began seeking funds and recources for those most affected by the storm: Portland's houseless community. The weeks leading up to the storm were filled with tent, food and warm clothing drives. During the storm some groups took in donations and used the money to reimburse those who bought hotel rooms for their houseless neighbors. All three groups, and many more, lead social media campaigns encouraging Portland to get out and help their neighbors. Even Portland's popular Buy Nothing Facebook Pages were filled with nieghbors offering to help with rides to work, or extra blankets. Mutual aid does not only allow everyday citizens a chance to get involved and help when they feel helpless, it also encourages a sense of community. So many of the problems we face as a city and a country are tied to our lack of community. When we get involved with mutual aid, we begin to lessen the sense of seperation so many of us feel from our neighbors. If you would like to get involved with some of Portland's wonderful mutual aid funds, we highly encourage you to give @dontshootpdx @pdxdefensefund and @pdxfreefridge a follow on Instagram and Twitter. For a map of all PDX Free Fridge Locations visit PDX Free Fridge Map

Minorities in the Homeless Population

Have you paid attention to those you see on the side of the road, often holding a cardboard sign? Sure, you probably notice them, but what do you notice about them? 

Something that has probably passed many by is the glaring racial disparity among the homeless population. This graphic provides a helpful summary of the proportions of minorities who make up the homeless population in America versus the general population. 

From National Alliance to End Homelessness

What does this discrepancy tell you about systemic racism and our economy? In our efforts to eliminate homelessness, we must also eliminate racism from all parts of society. Why else would there be such disparity between the two kinds of populations? 

For more eye-opening facts about racial disparities in homelessness, visit the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Fostering a Community: Helping Homeless People Of Color

In Portland there has to be a change in perception of the homeless citizens because as of now most view homeless in homogenized terms. In these communities People of Color are often the most present but they have the least amount of representation. According to a 2018 Multnomah County news release on homelessness “People of color now make up 38.1 percent of the count, even though they are only 29.5 percent of Multnomah County’s population.”. The effects of institutional racism and lack of shelter combine for harsh realities for the homeless minorities of Portland but all's not lost. Transition Projects Inc, a Local development company, has been an innovator in finding suitable shelter for POC residents through the use of the community based modular housing units.  Each building provides all the necessities to wash clothes, medical care and guidance seeking long term housing all for free for those that apply. According to the Transition Projects 2019 data states that “1,200 people will obtain permanent housing...of people placed into permanent housing 41% will be people of color”.  This progress shows that these resources are reaching those who need it the most and that there is a sustainable effort to housing POC. The fact remains these types of buildings are limited and on any given night there can still be upwards of 2000 people left sleeping unsheltered. Transition Project Inc is always accepting help from those in the community willing to make a change. For those in Portland this means changing how you view shelters and their benefit to the Minorities. During this pandemic there are those in need that we all can help even from our homes by donating at Transition Projects. Know that this is a community based effort that strives on one idea providing housing to every individual possible. 

By Nick Garza

https://www.tprojects.org/how-to-help

Work Cited

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/casestudies/study_12202012_1.html

https://www.tprojects.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/FY18-19%20Q4%20.pdf

Food For Thought

February 28, 2020,
By: Samantha High

Art: Crystal Chen 

Being without a home is a choice for some, but for many it is not. It is vital that we approach this situation with empathy, regardless of our beliefs towards a person without a home. No matter how stable we believe we are, we could all end up in this situation. We are all one catastrophe away from being homeless. It's easy to approach this situation with disgust or anger because it has become so widespread; we forget that each person contributing to this population is a person with thoughts, feelings, and family. Homeless people need compassion, as they have no where to rest and recharge in the comfort of their own home, which can lead to a slough of other trials and tribulations. What makes us believe a homeless person is less-than? 

Drug use and waste left behind are two problems we actively see, we may see people with mental health issues that may have been prevalent before being on the streets, or may be stemmed from PTSD related to being on the streets. This may lead a lot of people to have negative view points of the homeless as a whole. What is really the issue here? What is contributing to this issue? 

I can think of so many things that are contributing to this issue. There are so many layers that contribute to this catastrophe.

First and foremost, our healthcare system is ranked 27th in the world as of 2018. Doctors are over- prescribing medications and psychotropic drugs. Risks are not properly given to people, even so, the drug is powerful and addiction comes easily. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most profitable industries in the United States, why wouldn't doctors and pharmacies want to keep pushing out drugs? It keeps them employed. 

Then there is the highly controversial vaccine debate. Why are vaccine manufacturers offering huge incentives to doctors? Billions of dollars are paid out to vaccine injured families and most injuries aren't reported or taken to VEARS. The US has the highest infant mortality rate of any industrialized country, and the highest mandated vaccine schedule for infants. Known to be loaded with toxins, heavy metals, and antigens, the human brain is exposed through the opening of the blood-brain-barrier as well as metals storing in the muscles and tissues. Why are so many veterans or members of the armed forces suffering from side effects after receiving several shots repeatedly? This information is out there and is fact, and scientifically proven no matter where you lie on the vaccine debate. The tolerable amount of ingested metal is far less than the amount that is injected straight into the body in most vaccines. Detoxing from metals can be a long and slow process, sometimes heavy metal toxicity is irreversible and can cause death. We can help the detox process through healthy foods. But what if people don't have access to healthy foods? 

Food deserts, expensive organic fresh foods, cheap fast foods and GMOs, food scarcity, hormone disruptors, pesticides, food preservatives, dyes, heavy metals and other toxins in our food and water, leading to many issues which can lead to imbalances resulting in sickness, disease, behavioral changes, depression, and more. No access to healthy foods means our bodies are less able to repair damage to the cells and DNA. 

Losing a job due to illness, abuse, domestic violence, or lack of resources, such as daycare or transportation. Loss of loved one or not having family members to turn to, as well as our housing market being so high, resulting in wealthier people from out of state moving locals out of their homes...what are people supposed to do when they have nowhere to turn to?

This problem is deeply rooted in our society and this isn't a one solution fix. We must really look at what is happening and take our power back. We need to look at who and what we are voting for and where our tax dollars are being spent. Can we expect honesty from our government? We have tax dollars being spent on so many things elsewhere that are actually not helping our society, especially low income individuals. 

According to Oregon Center for Public Policy, Oregon’s biggest income tax deduction, which is also the state’s biggest housing subsidy, mainly benefits the well-off. "In terms of cost to the state, the Oregon mortgage interest deduction is the biggest tax deduction on the books, costing nearly one billion dollars in the current biennium. At its current level it is also the state’s biggest housing subsidy. This subsidy, however, mainly benefits those who do not need help affording a home. If you divide all Oregon taxpayers into five groups according to income, the highest-earning fifth together collected 61 percent of the subsidy from the mortgage interest deduction in 2011. The bottom two-fifths (the lowest-earning 40 percent of all taxpayers) together received less than 3 percent of the benefits from the subsidy." (https://www.ocpp.org/2016/04/18/blog20160418-key-facts-oregon-taxes)

The homeless problem is multi-faceted and we must really look at this from multiple angles to solve it. An avalanche of issues exist that we must address if we are going to focus on the mental health, overall health, and financial stability of our nation. We need to be asking questions and not putting blinders on. Coming up with real solutions only happens when we are deeply honest with ourselves and with each other.

Solving the Homeless Crisis

What is causing people to become Homeless?

February 27, 2020

By Steve Stieler           

            As home prices continue to ascend, many aspiring buyers are priced out of homeownership or as one study found, priced out of having a home at all. The housing market itself is so overinflated, a $650,000 house has maybe $80,000 of building material in it. So why is my house over-priced and my mortgage payment is $3,500 a month for a house that sits with $80K cost of building it? Perhaps the answer is to redefine the words “affordable housing” by making the existing houses we live in now “affordable”. The DataFace, a San Francisco-based data agency, combed through the pages of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) latest Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) found that eight of the 10 states with the highest homelessness rates also have the nation’s highest median home price (inman.com). 

            People that are defined as middle-class Americans are struggling to afford the existing houses they are in now, causing migration to happen at an alarming rate. Portland is an example all too familiar lately. Middle-class families are being pushed out of their homes and city, replaced by wealthy people from other large cities, who are being displaced by their over-inflated housing market and then moving here because it’s cheaper, while driving out the people that can only afford the house they have been living in. The city politics being what they are in a demographic like Portland, do not seem to be bothered by this movement because the people that are replacing the middle-class are wealthy people from other states. The city has done their diligence to help fight the homeless situation but, the problem is even bigger than that. What is causing the homeless population? The bad housing market. We should take a stand on the housing market and fix the nationwide housing problem and make the homes we are in now affordable, so we all can have a place to call home. We should all care on this matter, home prices are rising at twice the rate of wage growth. This affects everyone in the workforce and will be a determining factor if you can afford to live in a home or not.

If you want to get involved and care about this crisis, email your State/Congress representative, please go to this link: https://www.candyusa.com/advocacy/communicating-with-congress-an-overview/writing-or-sending-e-mail-to-your-senators-or-representative/

Work cited:

Study on the housing crisis and homelessness:

https://www.inman.com/2018/03/21/rising-home-prices-lead-to-increased-homeless-population-study-finds/

https://www.curbed.com/2019/5/15/18617763/affordable-housing-policy-rent-real-estate-apartment

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/01/16/home-ownership-is-the-wests-biggest-economic-policy-mistake

Food Security

In a world of 7.7 billion people where we are still reaping the benefits of the Green Revolution and industrial farming, food security is still a hot topic. This is a luxury some of us enjoy, while others struggle. 42.2 million Americans are food insecure, 13.1 million are children. A few major causes of food insecurity in America are unemployment, high housing costs, low wages, lack of access to SNAP (food stamps), medical/health costs, and domestic violence. There are a million different reasons to end up food insecure or homeless but the important thing is that everyone needs to eat. One difficulty many homeless and others face is getting enough food each day. Luckily in Portland there are some resources. Most shelters offer food services. The Portland Rescue Mission serves breakfast at 7am and dinner at 6 pm 365 days a year. The Transitions Project also serves daily meals at all its shelters. Portland State University also has a Food Pantry Resource and Harvest Share. Most of these shelters also offer beds, bathrooms, showers, clothing, transition programs as well. 

If you’d like to find more information, donate, or volunteer check out these links:

Oregon Food Bank: https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/get-involved/volunteer/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6bCM2pLw5wIVjNlkCh0WfQHFEAAYASAAEgIeavD_BwE

Portland Rescue Mission: https://www.portlandrescuemission.org/homeless-services/food-shelter-services/

Transitions Projects: https://www.tprojects.org/shelters/

Join: https://joinpdx.org/about/

Written by: Emily Sanders

Works Cited:

1. Unknown Author. “7 Facts About Hunger and Homelessness You Should Know.” Mercy Housing, 23 Jan. 2019, www.mercyhousing.org/2016/11/7-facts-about-hunger-and-homelessness-you-should-know/.

2. Unknown Author. “Hunger and Food Security.” National Coalition for the Homeless, Nov. 2011, www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/hunger.html.

The Heartbreaking Link Between Domestic Violence and Homelessness

Domestic violence is the primary cause of homelessness amongst women and children. According to the Family and Youth Services Bureau, 80% of homeless mothers with children previously experienced domestic violence, and around 57% of all homeless women report that domestic violence was the immediate cause of their homelessness. Whether women are fleeing abuse and end up homeless as a result of escape, or end up punished by landlords’ “zero tolerance for violence” policies, where the victim is punished for the crimes of an abuser, the outcome is the same. This position is so difficult and painful for most of us to even imagine, but allow me to explain just how easy it is to find yourself in this situation; from personal experience.

Working as a server, I began seeing a man who moved from his place into mine after several months of dating. Things were going fine and well, and I knew he was a recovered methamphetamine user who had been sober for years. I never imagined it to become an issue or to change who he was. Without my knowing, he was hiding his occasional drug use with one of our neighbors, and I noticed his personality begin to change. I couldn’t understand why, as I had never been around addicts of this kind before, and did not know what to look for. 

He became violent, and turned into a different person, short tempered, jealous, picking fights with others over small things. I was stuck in my apartment with him, in my name and on my credit. I was never safe. Many nights I escaped and called the domestic violence crisis lines, which could only offer me a place to stay in a hotel for a few nights until things “calmed down”. But they never did. He blackened my eye once and when I made an excuse to stay home from work out of humiliation, I lost my job. He broke my spine a few weeks later, tossing me to the floor, and I was unable to work or care for myself. My family was in Georgia, and he had scared off all of my friends and left me completely isolated from my network. 

I was working with the domestic violence shelters, which were all full with a three month wait for new women, and priority was naturally given to women with children. We have 5 domestic violence shelters in Portland, and all were full. This should say a lot. 

Had I been approved for disability (which I was not, in spite of sustaining 4 serious spinal injuries and intense PTSD), I would have only received $750 a month total, not enough to cover my apartment, expenses, etc. My friends were too scared of him to allow me to stay with them because he would simply show up. And I believe it happens just this easily to other women. If had not had the financial support of my incredible family in Georgia, I would have been a homeless woman with PTSD and spinal injuries, just like that. 

One of the most difficult parts of the entire ordeal was the victim blaming I received after the entire nightmare was “over” (I left my apartment on a rainy morning in pajamas to hide from him as he went into the restroom. He went on a hunt the next day to find me at a friend’s home, forced me into the car and ran over one of the three people who were trying to help pull me out of the car...and went to prison on a kidnapping charge). Even people who loved me would say I “got our friend ran over” or would find themselves quicker to ask why I would stay than they were to ask why my former partner would be violent towards me. The truth is that once you are in the situation, it’s scarier to leave and not know what the man may do than to stay and know what you’ll face. When I left was when I was nearly killed. 70% of intimate partner violence victims are killed within 72 hours of leaving their abuser. Shame, the drive to survive and lack of control of finances often lead a woman to stay. 

Women and children deserve so much better than this. Better than to be blamed for being in terrifying, lose-lose situations, better than to have to choose homelessness and risk being harmed on the streets or by their partner at home, better than to suffer long term financial damage and be left to fend for themselves and their children, along with the physical and mental damage sustained by the abuse. I hope that reading this will make you think differently next time you see a homeless woman, and hope you check out some of the links below to better understand what we are dealing with, why, and what you can do to help!

This is an article on how to do better and end these cycles for women and children in this situation, and how to help: https://www.bustle.com/p/as-domestic-violence-awareness-month-comes-to-end-we-need-to-address-why-so-many-survivors-end-up-homeless-how-to-end-the-cycle-2923735

IF YOU, A LOVED ONE OR NEIGHBOR MAY BE IN DANGER:  then PLEASE, this link can help identify signs of abuse and provides immediate assistance to get out, get safe and possibly save lives:
https://www.thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/

And to better understand homeless women and children, check out a few of these links below:

https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/dvhomelessness032106.pdf

American Civil Liberties Union: Domestic violence and Homelessness

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/resource/dv-homelessness-stats-2016

Family and Youth Services Bureau: Homelessness and Domestic Violence Statistics(2016)

http://shelterstoshutters.org/the-connection-between-domestic-violence-and-homelessness/

Connection Between Domestic Violence and Homelessness

Homeless Pets and their Owners

Pets, we love and cherish them. They are with us through the good and bad. About 68 percent of Americans have pets, between 5-10% of homeless in the United States are pet owners. There is a stigma that homeless pet owners aren’t taking care of their pets. Most on a daily basis are told they shouldn’t have a pet or they’re a horrible person for having a pet while being homeless. When in reality they are taking better care of their pets than some with homes. 

Many owners struggling with mental, emotional, and other health issues get a positive relationship out of caring for their pet on the street. Homeless pet owners love their pets often saying “my pet eats first”. There are many resources available to homeless pet owners that offer free clinics, spay and neuter, vet check ups, prescriptions, vaccinations, food, and licensing. 

If you are interested in volunteering or donating please check out these websites:

• https://www.petsofthehomeless.org/about-us/
• https://www.pawteam.org/

Written by Emily Sanders

Works Cited:Irvine, Leslie, et al. “Confrontations and Donations: Encounters between Homeless Pet Owners and the Public.” The Sociological Quarterly, vol. 53, no. 1, 2012, pp. 25–43.Slatter, Jessica, et al. "Homelessness and companion animals: more than just a pet?" British Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 75, no. 8, 2012, p. 377+. Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine.Pires, Candice. “Homeless People on Their Pets: 'She Saved Me as Much as I Saved Her'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 16 June 2018.