Re: General Jeff - The Mayor of Skid Row - Is Gone @ 56
Jeff Liddicoat
This is just one person’s recent experience with the City’s new push for tiny house in tiny villages. He is a friend of mine that has a fairly hard time on the streets. He was recently talked into staying at such a village out towards the Columbia River far from town and everyone he knows - as he describes it ‘far from everything, isolated with nothing to do and nowhere to go’. The area is served by only one bus with less than frequent service. Upon arriving he found that although there were electric connections, in the place he was assigned he would not have any electric power or heat until after he was there for two weeks. Additionally virtually all his belongings including new gear (sleeping bag, blankets, tarp, and tent) were taken from him with the explanation tied to health and safety concerns. In return he says he was given a new but mediocre sleeping bag for his tiny, empty, and cold hut. As for common areas he notes there is a TV and places to sit and that there is food fairly consistently. But showers are limited to 10 minutes total time for lukewarm water that leaves him colder after he showers than before. And here’s the type of insulting policy one can expect. He was asked if he had any knives. As it turns out an old friend of his had just given him a high quality collector item knife - more a keepsake than any real weapon - it’s blade only a few inches long. After it was taken it was pretty clear there was no intention of returning it to him in that it was placed in a metal box already containing multiple knives taken from others. Nothing was done to indicate the knife was his no receipt given for any of the property taken from him. And so it goes. It’s pretty clear my friend will be back on the street long before he gets transitioned to something else. And for him as well as others treated this way, it will be concluded that they were better off on the street than in a cold isolated place with nothing to do, no friends, and whole new ways for the homeless to be insulted as somehow lesser than others.
On Wed, Jan 19, 2022 at 10:29 AM David Dickson <dicksondavidk@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: General Jeff - The Mayor of Skid Row - Is Gone @ 56
David Dickson
Great story, Keith! The multiple solutions approach makes great sense. PSU’s Homeless Research and Action Collaborative’s recent research on Villages is encouraging relative to the Safe Rest Village approach. But the Oregonian’s survey of people on the street reveals our shortcomings in what might be the most important thing we can do—getting to know our unsheltered neighbors and staying connected with them as they navigate their way to a better situation. The city’s funding for its outreach/navigation staffing is increasing by 50%. Let’s hope that added resources, along with more focused objectives and accountability, will make a difference.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: General Jeff - The Mayor of Skid Row - Is Gone @ 56
Keith Wilson
A, We did. Thank you.
From: pdxshelterforum@groups.io <pdxshelterforum@groups.io>
On Behalf Of Angie Gilbert via groups.io
Thank you Keith for sharing this story. I think it is a critical one to get out. I am sorry to hear of Jeff's passing, it sounds like the universe lost a kind and wonderful soul. Angie
On Wed, Jan 19, 2022 at 9:34 AM Keith Wilson <keithwilson@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: General Jeff - The Mayor of Skid Row - Is Gone @ 56
Angie Gilbert
Thank you Keith for sharing this story. I think it is a critical one to get out. I am sorry to hear of Jeff's passing, it sounds like the universe lost a kind and wonderful soul. Angie
On Wed, Jan 19, 2022 at 9:34 AM Keith Wilson <keithwilson@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
General Jeff - The Mayor of Skid Row - Is Gone @ 56
Keith Wilson
General Jeff – The Mayor of Skid Row is gone at 56
I was honored to meet Jeff at our PDX Shelter Forum meeting early last year. Thank you, Tim McCormick, for bringing us together. Jeff spoke to us at the forum about LA’s Skid Row where the homeless situation is out of control, has persisted for generations and has no end or solution in sight. Jeff implored us to take action to help the few thousand souls on the Portland streets, before it reaches a point with no turning back, like Skid Row has become.
Jeff and I met again this past August in LA. He graciously spent an entire day as my tour guide of Skid Row. I wanted to know exactly what he meant. Why is homelessness in LA so intractable? Why has homelessness in Portland grown and what might we do to change the outcome? What can we learn?
In our conversation, Jeff expressed frustration that over the years, money was thrown at the issue but was not ever tied to measurable outcomes to prove that the funding was making a difference to the homeless. Poor leadership continued to fund but without accountability. He wanted to see things get better.
On my visit, I specifically wanted to review LA’s Safe Rest Villages like those proposed in Portland. I wanted to know if they work. He was clear, “Yes!” His response, “cities have to provide a bunch of solutions. Safe Rest Villages are just one of many possible solutions. If you only have one restaurant in town and they sell crappy food, who will want to walk into.” “To end homelessness, we need to think of services as a bunch of restaurants with a menu of choices.” Each person has a different set of needs, and we need to provide a wide array of shelter options to meet our neighbors where and with what they need to survive and thrive. But the street should never be a destination.
At the end of the day, I offered to take him home. He declined, commenting that he used to live in an SRO. I recalled living in one years ago in NYC, it was all I could afford when I was starting out. We shared our SRO experiences. I suspect he was living on the street, in the shadows of the gleaming buildings that make up downtown LA. I dropped him off in the middle of Skid Row where he said he was going to visit his people some more.
Jeff pulls no punches and tells it like it is. If you are interested, here is his story: The powerful legacy of General Jeff Page, West Coast hip-hop pioneer and ‘mayor of skid row’
This past December, I tried to call him to say “Hello” and “Happy Holidays”. That is when I learned he had passed away. At 56, he lived seven years longer than the average life span for a houseless person which is 49 years of age.
I am happy to have met Jeff. I am sad to see him go. Even more sad to know that in his life of advocacy for the homeless he has only seen the suffering in his neighborhood grow. I hope our neighbors in Portland can do better.
Keith
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Article: California’s Project Homekey Turns Hotels into Housing
Angie Gilbert
At the end of March, when the severity of the coronavirus pandemic was just beginning to become plain, the Oakland City Council passed an emergency resolution asking the city “to acquire buildings, … View the article. https://flip.it/p8Lo_Q View the article + more on Flipboard. https://flip.it/qriMZz Find your favorite topics on Flipboard. Download here. https://flip.it/q2c-.t
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
TODAY 3:30-8pm in St Johns: Free smartphone & phone plan, for SNAP or OHP/Medicaid recipients
Tim McCormick
Event today at Wayfinding Academy (in St. Johns) 8010 N. Charleston Ave, Portland, OR 97203. To help, or with questions: send an email to roxy@.... I'm aiming to go there at 3:30pm, driving from NE Alberta/Concordia area -- if anyone reasonably en route needs a ride, let me know. 200 free phones with mobile plan are available, to people qualifying by currently receiving SNAP benefits or OHP/Medicaid coverage. This is supported by the Federal Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, which is set to EXPIRE at the end of this year. ---------- From Greg McKelvey, who is coordinating, on Facebook: "Dear friends, I try not to ask you for much but I am in need of volunteers for one of the biggest opportunities for Portland in a long time. As a friend said, Based on the financial impact, helping out on Thursday is like volunteering for 100 nights of soup kitchens. In 2021, having a smartphone is critical for access to transportation, community, and even healthcare. But the cost of adequate plans and phones are burdensome for so many in our community. That’s why we’re collaborating with community organizations across the Portland Metro area for a Free Phones for Christmas phone fair on December 23rd, from 3:30-8pm at the Wayfinding Academy in St. John’s. Under the federal government’s Emergency Broadband Benefit, those who qualify will receive a free smartphone, along with a free phone plan, including unlimited data, voice, and text. It is easy to qualify: anyone who receives SNAP benefits or is covered by the Oregon Health Plan/Medicaid (not Medicare). We expect that the free monthly service will continue to be a long-term federal benefit. Our EBB partner’s offer is only available now. Due to changes to the federal funding of this benefit as of 1/1/22, this free phone program will not be open for new enrollment in the new year. Please comment or message if you are willing to volunteer! We have a training tonight at 5:30 for those who wish to volunteer but if you can't make it we can still train you up. Let's get Portland connected!" -------------- -- Tim McCormick Housing Alternatives Network +1 503.334.1894. Zoom personal room. Director Oregon Cooperative Housing Network, Editor at HousingWiki,Organizer at Village Collaborative
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: good KOIN-6 TV segment with houseless man & Neighbors Helping Neighbors, at N. Lombard & I-5 camp
Donna Cohen
I hate KOIN’s “Is Portland Over?” theme. I think it’s bad journalism, reactionary, and serves only to make people think this city is way worse off than other cities, when the problems are national.
As to the piece, it made some good points, especially about rents going up so much more than what many people have for income, but, still, it seemed like the predominant theme was the same old stigma: folks are here with mental health/substance abuse problems and they don’t care about their living environment.
We know from a KATU report, for example, that many housed people dump their stuff at houseless encampments; so much so, in fact, that the city has taken back garbage services from some houseless locations. How does that help?!
I really don’t think this type of reporting is, overall, very helpful. Donna
Donna L Cohen, MLIS, MEd Portland, Oregon 503-737-1425 Civics for Adults – and Others – Workshops: To Enhance Civic Knowledge and Inspire Political Engagement Webpage www.civicthinker.info Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/ “My philosophy is very simple. When you see something that is not fair, not right, not just – stand up, say something, speak up!” Rep. John Lewis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6lzPpqc2WY
From: pdxshelterforum@groups.io <pdxshelterforum@groups.io> On Behalf Of Tim McCormick
Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2021 2:15 PM To: pdxshelterforum@groups.io Subject: [pdxshelterforum] good KOIN-6 TV segment with houseless man & Neighbors Helping Neighbors, at N. Lombard & I-5 camp
surprisingly good (mostly, in my opinion) TV news segment from Portland KOIN 6, https://www.koin.com/is-portland-over/homeless-in-portland-aint-never-seen-such-a-bad-deal/ Centers on interviews with a houseless man, and Terrance Moses who runs Neighbors Helping Neighbors, at camp at N. Lombard and I-5 / N. Montana.
"Moses said we can’t build enough brick-and-mortar buildings in a timely and urgent way. 'But what we do need is more tiny homes or just land and let them pitch their tents or put the RVs, but still provide them the services.'"
(geographic note: the location is the intersection of Oregon's main north-south route I-5 / Pacific Highway, with its main east-west route, Hwy 30, = N. Lombard St here).
One note, I'd incline to ask for substantiation of houselesss interviewee / KOIN6's claim of public benefit money being used by recipients to buy drugs. May be true, but also sounds like something fears/stereotypes would suggest, and would be best to check out.
lead reporter: Dan Tilkin Posted: Nov 18, 2021 / 01:00 PM PST / Updated: Nov 18, 2021 / 05:30 PM PST
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — At a homeless camp along I-5 at North Lombard, one of the people participating in a recent clean-up lives in the camp and shared his insights into why Portland is stuck in a homeless crisis.
At his camp, he’s frustrated younger homeless people keep bringing in more stuff and doesn’t understand why the city of Portland allows it and why it doesn’t at least provide them with garbage cans.
Portland neighbors beg for help as homeless camp takes root “We cleaned this area over here twice in 3 weeks,” the man told KOIN 6 News. “Portland don’t want to keep picking it up, picking it up, picking it up. I take care of my area, if I start seeing it getting overflowed, I go over and tell them, ‘Hey man, pick it up or get the hell out of here’.”
The city made a decision during the pandemic to leave many homeless camps alone and decided to try to do a better job helping people in camps gets social services. That takes more time and money.
The man agreed to talk to KOIN 6 News if his identify was not revealed. He didn’t share any personal details about his life beyond saying he’s originally from Texas.
Asked if there are not enough mental health services he said, “For them. You know what I mean? Not me. I’ve seen people get run over right out there (pointing to the freeway on-ramp). People, man. It’s ridiculous.”
Then there’s the drug use.
“Holy macaroni! I ain’t never in my life seen such a bad deal. They’re giving them the money to go buy the dope. They’re, I mean, they can work for it, if anything. You know what I mean? Come on, man! Do something besides give them money and do this and do that and get stupid trash everywhere.”
This homeless man helped clean up a homeless camp at North Lombard and Montana, October 2021 (KOIN) He’s talking about government financial assistance that some in the homeless camps spend on drugs. That government assistance is supposed to go to living expenses.
Housing is an issue, of course. But “who can afford $1500 a month for a box? That’s sad. That doesn’t coincide their Social Security or whatever they’re getting, you know, for help.”
Data from Multifamily NW and A Home For Everyone shows that since early 2015, “rents in our community have risen much faster than the median income, to nearly $1400 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Portland. … Meanwhile, more than 21,000 people in Multnomah County rely on federal disability checks that top out at $794 a month.”
“Every major forecast is predicting continued rent increases in Portland Metro,” wrote Multifamily NW in its Fall 2021 Apartment Report. “This will be driven by steady population growth, decreasing number of units under construction, and declining vacancies.”
Trash, graffiti growing concern on Portland-area freeways The man from Texas was working alongside Terrance Moses who runs Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Through donations to his non-profit, Moses cleans up camps and tries to help people living on the fringe.
“What you should really know is that a lot of our houseless neighbors aren’t here by choice and yes, there’s a segment of them that are here by choice,” Moses said. “And the stigma of dehumanizing them, what other folks don’t know about it is that it is very hurtful and traumatizing to an already traumatic incident.” This homeless man helped clean up a homeless camp at North Lombard and Montana, October 2021 (KOIN) Moses said we can’t build enough brick-and-mortar buildings in a timely and urgent way. “But what we do need is more tiny homes or just land and let them pitch their tents or put the RVs, but still provide them the services.”
He added the reason many homeless people seem to hoard garbage is really simple. “When you’re homeless and you have absolutely nothing, everything you touch becomes a prize possession. And they want to hold on to everything.”
While the man from Texas didn’t want to share how he ended up in this homeless camp, he did say the City of Portland is enabling the crisis he’s part of.
City leaders, he said, are “giving up too easy. The political people are just giving up. They don’t, they don’t, they don’t care to deal with it. They don’t want to deal with it and they’re not going to deal with it. They’re going to pass the buck to somebody else. It’s a little bit easier.”
------- Bcc: Dan Tilkin
-- Tim McCormick +1 503.334.1894. Zoom personal room. Director Oregon Cooperative Housing Network, Editor at HousingWiki,
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: KOIN Coverage and Framing
Elise Aymer
I had missed that. Thanks, Tim. Elise
On Sat, 11 Dec 2021, 4:14 pm Tim McCormick, <tmccormick@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: KOIN Coverage and Framing
Tim McCormick
KOIN did a followup segment and article, which was in my view quite and good, helping to balance and deepen the perspectives. Great work by lead reporter Dan Tilkin dan.tilkin@..., bcc-ed here. I posted it here at PDXshelterforum Nov 20, here it is again: ------- surprisingly good (mostly, in my opinion) TV news segment from Portland KOIN 6, https://www.koin.com/is-portland-over/homeless-in-portland-aint-never-seen-such-a-bad-deal/ Centers on interviews with a houseless man, and Terrance Moses who runs Neighbors Helping Neighbors, at camp at N. Lombard and I-5 / N. Montana. "Moses said we can’t build enough brick-and-mortar buildings in a timely and urgent way. 'But what we do need is more tiny homes or just land and let them pitch their tents or put the RVs, but still provide them the services.'" (geographic note: the location is the intersection of Oregon's main north-south route I-5 / Pacific Highway, with its main east-west route, Hwy 30, = N. Lombard St here). One note, I'd incline to ask for substantiation of houselesss interviewee / KOIN6's claim of public benefit money being used by recipients to buy drugs. May be true, but also sounds like something fears/stereotypes would suggest, and would be best to check out. lead reporter: Dan Tilkin Posted: Nov 18, 2021 / 01:00 PM PST / Updated: Nov 18, 2021 / 05:30 PM PST PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — At a homeless camp along I-5 at North Lombard, one of the people participating in a recent clean-up lives in the camp and shared his insights into why Portland is stuck in a homeless crisis. At his camp, he’s frustrated younger homeless people keep bringing in more stuff and doesn’t understand why the city of Portland allows it and why it doesn’t at least provide them with garbage cans. Portland neighbors beg for help as homeless camp takes root “We cleaned this area over here twice in 3 weeks,” the man told KOIN 6 News. “Portland don’t want to keep picking it up, picking it up, picking it up. I take care of my area, if I start seeing it getting overflowed, I go over and tell them, ‘Hey man, pick it up or get the hell out of here’.” The city made a decision during the pandemic to leave many homeless camps alone and decided to try to do a better job helping people in camps gets social services. That takes more time and money. The man agreed to talk to KOIN 6 News if his identify was not revealed. He didn’t share any personal details about his life beyond saying he’s originally from Texas. Asked if there are not enough mental health services he said, “For them. You know what I mean? Not me. I’ve seen people get run over right out there (pointing to the freeway on-ramp). People, man. It’s ridiculous.” Then there’s the drug use. “Holy macaroni! I ain’t never in my life seen such a bad deal. They’re giving them the money to go buy the dope. They’re, I mean, they can work for it, if anything. You know what I mean? Come on, man! Do something besides give them money and do this and do that and get stupid trash everywhere.” This homeless man helped clean up a homeless camp at North Lombard and Montana, October 2021 (KOIN) He’s talking about government financial assistance that some in the homeless camps spend on drugs. That government assistance is supposed to go to living expenses. Housing is an issue, of course. But “who can afford $1500 a month for a box? That’s sad. That doesn’t coincide their Social Security or whatever they’re getting, you know, for help.” Data from Multifamily NW and A Home For Everyone shows that since early 2015, “rents in our community have risen much faster than the median income, to nearly $1400 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Portland. … Meanwhile, more than 21,000 people in Multnomah County rely on federal disability checks that top out at $794 a month.” “Every major forecast is predicting continued rent increases in Portland Metro,” wrote Multifamily NW in its Fall 2021 Apartment Report. “This will be driven by steady population growth, decreasing number of units under construction, and declining vacancies.” Trash, graffiti growing concern on Portland-area freeways The man from Texas was working alongside Terrance Moses who runs Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Through donations to his non-profit, Moses cleans up camps and tries to help people living on the fringe. “What you should really know is that a lot of our houseless neighbors aren’t here by choice and yes, there’s a segment of them that are here by choice,” Moses said. “And the stigma of dehumanizing them, what other folks don’t know about it is that it is very hurtful and traumatizing to an already traumatic incident.” This homeless man helped clean up a homeless camp at North Lombard and Montana, October 2021 (KOIN) Moses said we can’t build enough brick-and-mortar buildings in a timely and urgent way. “But what we do need is more tiny homes or just land and let them pitch their tents or put the RVs, but still provide them the services.” He added the reason many homeless people seem to hoard garbage is really simple. “When you’re homeless and you have absolutely nothing, everything you touch becomes a prize possession. And they want to hold on to everything.” While the man from Texas didn’t want to share how he ended up in this homeless camp, he did say the City of Portland is enabling the crisis he’s part of. City leaders, he said, are “giving up too easy. The political people are just giving up. They don’t, they don’t, they don’t care to deal with it. They don’t want to deal with it and they’re not going to deal with it. They’re going to pass the buck to somebody else. It’s a little bit easier.” ------- Bcc: Dan Tilkin -- Tim McCormick Director Oregon Cooperative Housing Network, Editor at HousingWiki,Housing Alternatives Network Organizer at Village Collaborative
On Sat, Dec 11, 2021 at 12:52 PM Elise Aymer <elise@...> wrote:
--
-- Tim McCormick Housing Alternatives Network +1 503.334.1894. Zoom personal room. Director Oregon Cooperative Housing Network, Editor at HousingWiki,Organizer at Village Collaborative
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: KOIN Coverage and Framing
Elise Aymer
Hi Lindsey, I appreciate your response and sharing of your experiences. I hope it didn't come across as an antagonistic post. Apologies if it did. You highlighted what I thought about and expected might be the lived experience for both housed and in housed in these neighbourhoods. I also wondered about Terrence Moses health cleaning up unspecified substances with what seemed like minimal protective equipment and little help. I was more writing about the media framing of the issue. I felt like the language KOIN used might dehumanize, stir the pot and reinforce division, when as you say, there is common cause. For example, I would agree with you that the unhoused living in these conditions have been failed. Does anyone really want to live in trash and human waste? KOIN, however, didn't interview any of them for the segment. If the news had, they may well have echoed your sentiments of frustration, lack of safety and anxiety. KOIN instead, I thought painted a picture of an invading horde against which housed folks must defend themselves, when bigger picture the unhoused are where they are, in such poor and unsustainable conditions because of larger systemic failures. KOIN didn't talk about why there are so many houseless people and if growing in number why this is the case. On that score, I thought the resident they interviewed who said, I know if they move them from my neighbourhood it will just be effectively to another one was good. And I know, maybe I am expecting too much of conventional local news. I would imagine it has an impact though. Anyway, thanks again for sharing what you've been experiencing. Elise
On Sat, 11 Dec 2021, 8:48 am Lindsey Leason, <lindsey.leason@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: KOIN Coverage and Framing
Katie Selby
Thank you so much for sharing this piece.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Katie Selby
On Dec 11, 2021, at 12:34 AM, Elise Aymer <elise@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: KOIN Coverage and Framing
Lindsey Leason <lindsey.leason@...>
Elise,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
I follow this forum and I also live in this neighborhood and am part of the community of neighbors that are impacted on a daily basis by the experience of living adjacent to a houseless encampment. I also work for houseless services. So please here me when I communicate the frustration and anxiety that my neighbors and I have experienced over the last 7-8 months. No one in my neighborhood ignores the houseless individuals or treats them unkindly. That being said a number of the residents of the houseless camps that existed on our street this summer were drug addicts, criminals, and aggressive. I lived with them on a daily basis. As of very recently, like three weeks ago, there was a shooting in the camp that is along the freeway were by one man shot another 3 times. The sounds of that gunfire have caused me intense anxiety as do the sounds of the frequent gunfire that was occurring on a nightly basis all around Kenton. What my neighbors and I think a lot of citizens, including the unhoused would like is for the city to actually address this situation. With more temporary housing, more services, more cleanups, and better management of the whole process. I have had the opportunity to speak with a few campers living in the larger camp along I-5 and they have told me about the violence and sometimes destruction within their camps by other campers. They are victims of each other and that is also terrifying. But were is their reporting feature. Who can they turn too? The same useless city services that the houses continues to turn too. Camp sweeps are not the best option and have long been discussed as inhumane and they are. But what about the violence and often extreme levels of health hazards that exist in these camps and affect the residents. That is what my neighbors and I are frustrated and concerned about. We lived it day in day out and also have a right to have worries about our own health and safety. I lived next corrosive chemicals, heroin needles, and human waste for 6 months. Very close, it was on my back doorstep. Is that okay? Is my request to clean that level of what you can agree is hazardous unfounded? Terrance Moses has been very helpful in the North Portland community but do you know that his charity picks up the tab for every trash dump they do because the city doesn’t recognize his services or his status as a 501c3? He is also putting his health at risk. But again he is one man and some neighbors. Where is the city? I hope I reframed your email content politely, but please don’t call out my neighborhood for their concerns. Lindsey
On Dec 11, 2021, at 12:34 AM, Elise Aymer <elise@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
KOIN Coverage and Framing
Elise Aymer
One of the really good things about this group is that it is solutions, ideas and action focused. I'm sharing the following, which isn't any of those things because I think it's important to keep in touch with how homelessness is being framed and covered locally. Perhaps many of you have already seen this KOIN segment from last month. Not sure. I noted how "neighbors" refers to those who are housed vs. "the homeless." "People" doesn't seem to include houseless folks. "Camp" and "encampment" clean-ups are desirable. A large chart shows how those positive activities have dwindled. Quite a lot of graphs and maps, actually. That said the housed residents they recorded seem earnest and I don't doubt the problems they are experiencing. Nor the evident tension. The disconnection between the various levels of government, utilities, and agencies also seemed credible. A bright spot in the piece for me was their interview with Terrence Moses of Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Though perhaps some of you know him/his organization and have other opinions. I'll stop here as I don't want to rant and think that others here who know much more about the details only touched upon in this segment and can be much more eloquent Elise
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: TODAY Weds 3-5pm, A Home For Everyone, Coordinating Board mtg - watch &/or testify
Tim McCormick
sorry, the correct Zoom link for the 3-5pm meeting seems to be: -- Tim McCormick Housing Alternatives Network +1 503.334.1894. Zoom personal room. Director Oregon Cooperative Housing Network, Editor at HousingWiki,Organizer at Village Collaborative
On Wed, Dec 1, 2021 at 2:01 PM Tim McCormick <tmccormick@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
TODAY Weds 3-5pm, A Home For Everyone, Coordinating Board mtg - watch &/or testify
Tim McCormick
JOINING from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please click this link to join. https://multco-us.zoom.us/j/97107196140?pwd=b3VPSkpxT3A5V0xKcU03V1pnVnFLdz09 Passcode (if needed): AHFECB21! Or One tap mobile: +12532158782,,98847002145#,,,,*412896918# US (Tacoma) Or join by phone: US: +1 253 215 8782 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 988 4700 2145 Passcode: 412896918 AGENDA - Weds DEC 1 Time | Agenda Item | Presenter | Action 5 min - Welcome - Board Co-Chairs - Informational 20 min - Introductions - All - Informational 10 min - Open for Public Comment: Up to 5 people, 2 min limit per person - 45 min - Budget Survey Results/New Funding - Marc/Josh - Informational/ Discussion 25 min - Severe Weather Presentation - Celeste - Informational 5 min - Additional Public Comment - All - Discussion 10 min - General Updates & Announcements - All - Informational HOW TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT Starting with the April 7 meeting, "Members of the public will not be able to participate directly outside of public comments, but will be able to hear and see meeting participants and shared materials. The meeting will be accessible 15 minutes prior to the start time. "Attendees may submit comment in writing to AHFE@multco.us to be read aloud by Joint Office Staff, or provide their comment verbally. Time allotted for public comments is up to five people, two minute limit per person. An additional period for public comment has been added at the end of the agenda." [formerly, public participants could use the Zoom chat channel to comment, ask questions, discuss, or add notes. For spoken Public Comment, it is not quite clear how speaking slots are now requested or assigned - try emailing AHFE@multco.us?]. BACKGROUND A Home For Everyone is Multnomah County's homelessness policy coordinating body and Federally-recognized "Continuum of Care" to oversee Federal funding. See: http://ahomeforeveryone.net/. It has a Coordinating board that reports to a smaller Executive Board. See http://ahomeforeveryone.net/coordinating-board for Board members, Agendas, monthly meeting materials (posted some time before meeting, like day of), recordings (posted usually within week after meeting) -- Tim McCormick Housing Alternatives Network (launching) +1 503.334.1894. Zoom personal room. Director Oregon Cooperative Housing Network, Editor at HousingWiki,Organizer at Village Collaborative
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
good KOIN-6 TV segment with houseless man & Neighbors Helping Neighbors, at N. Lombard & I-5 camp
Tim McCormick
surprisingly good (mostly, in my opinion) TV news segment from Portland KOIN 6, https://www.koin.com/is-portland-over/homeless-in-portland-aint-never-seen-such-a-bad-deal/ Centers on interviews with a houseless man, and Terrance Moses who runs Neighbors Helping Neighbors, at camp at N. Lombard and I-5 / N. Montana. "Moses said we can’t build enough brick-and-mortar buildings in a timely and urgent way. 'But what we do need is more tiny homes or just land and let them pitch their tents or put the RVs, but still provide them the services.'" (geographic note: the location is the intersection of Oregon's main north-south route I-5 / Pacific Highway, with its main east-west route, Hwy 30, = N. Lombard St here). One note, I'd incline to ask for substantiation of houselesss interviewee / KOIN6's claim of public benefit money being used by recipients to buy drugs. May be true, but also sounds like something fears/stereotypes would suggest, and would be best to check out. lead reporter: Dan Tilkin Posted: Nov 18, 2021 / 01:00 PM PST / Updated: Nov 18, 2021 / 05:30 PM PST PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — At a homeless camp along I-5 at North Lombard, one of the people participating in a recent clean-up lives in the camp and shared his insights into why Portland is stuck in a homeless crisis. At his camp, he’s frustrated younger homeless people keep bringing in more stuff and doesn’t understand why the city of Portland allows it and why it doesn’t at least provide them with garbage cans. Portland neighbors beg for help as homeless camp takes root “We cleaned this area over here twice in 3 weeks,” the man told KOIN 6 News. “Portland don’t want to keep picking it up, picking it up, picking it up. I take care of my area, if I start seeing it getting overflowed, I go over and tell them, ‘Hey man, pick it up or get the hell out of here’.” The city made a decision during the pandemic to leave many homeless camps alone and decided to try to do a better job helping people in camps gets social services. That takes more time and money. The man agreed to talk to KOIN 6 News if his identify was not revealed. He didn’t share any personal details about his life beyond saying he’s originally from Texas. Asked if there are not enough mental health services he said, “For them. You know what I mean? Not me. I’ve seen people get run over right out there (pointing to the freeway on-ramp). People, man. It’s ridiculous.” Then there’s the drug use. “Holy macaroni! I ain’t never in my life seen such a bad deal. They’re giving them the money to go buy the dope. They’re, I mean, they can work for it, if anything. You know what I mean? Come on, man! Do something besides give them money and do this and do that and get stupid trash everywhere.” This homeless man helped clean up a homeless camp at North Lombard and Montana, October 2021 (KOIN) He’s talking about government financial assistance that some in the homeless camps spend on drugs. That government assistance is supposed to go to living expenses. Housing is an issue, of course. But “who can afford $1500 a month for a box? That’s sad. That doesn’t coincide their Social Security or whatever they’re getting, you know, for help.” Data from Multifamily NW and A Home For Everyone shows that since early 2015, “rents in our community have risen much faster than the median income, to nearly $1400 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Portland. … Meanwhile, more than 21,000 people in Multnomah County rely on federal disability checks that top out at $794 a month.” “Every major forecast is predicting continued rent increases in Portland Metro,” wrote Multifamily NW in its Fall 2021 Apartment Report. “This will be driven by steady population growth, decreasing number of units under construction, and declining vacancies.” Trash, graffiti growing concern on Portland-area freeways The man from Texas was working alongside Terrance Moses who runs Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Through donations to his non-profit, Moses cleans up camps and tries to help people living on the fringe. “What you should really know is that a lot of our houseless neighbors aren’t here by choice and yes, there’s a segment of them that are here by choice,” Moses said. “And the stigma of dehumanizing them, what other folks don’t know about it is that it is very hurtful and traumatizing to an already traumatic incident.” This homeless man helped clean up a homeless camp at North Lombard and Montana, October 2021 (KOIN) Moses said we can’t build enough brick-and-mortar buildings in a timely and urgent way. “But what we do need is more tiny homes or just land and let them pitch their tents or put the RVs, but still provide them the services.” He added the reason many homeless people seem to hoard garbage is really simple. “When you’re homeless and you have absolutely nothing, everything you touch becomes a prize possession. And they want to hold on to everything.” While the man from Texas didn’t want to share how he ended up in this homeless camp, he did say the City of Portland is enabling the crisis he’s part of. City leaders, he said, are “giving up too easy. The political people are just giving up. They don’t, they don’t, they don’t care to deal with it. They don’t want to deal with it and they’re not going to deal with it. They’re going to pass the buck to somebody else. It’s a little bit easier.” ------- Bcc: Dan Tilkin -- -- Tim McCormick Housing Alternatives Network +1 503.334.1894. Zoom personal room. Director Oregon Cooperative Housing Network, Editor at HousingWiki,Organizer at Village Collaborative
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
TODAY 3-5pm: AHFE Safety Off the Streets Workgroup mtg
Tim McCormick
AHFE Safety Off the Streets Workgroup mtg
you are welcome to join the 3-5pm monthly (on 3rd Tuesdays), open meeting of the Safety Off the Streets Workgroup, a subcommittee of the Coordinating Board of A Home For Everyone: Google Meet: meet.google.com/svq-vkja-ykr. Phone: 1 484-424-4823 (PIN: 661 453 175#) Agenda for Nov 16. TIME TOPIC PRESENTER 15 min Welcome & Introductions All 30 min City/county fall strategic investments in houselessness - Mark Bond 20 min Severe Weather Update - Celeste Duvall 20 min Shelter bed set aside - Christopher Sage, Tony Bernal 20 min Governance Restructure - Joshua Bates 15 min General Updates & Announcements All Meeting agendas, materials (posted shortly before meeting), and minutes (posted some months after meeting): http://ahomeforeveryone.net/safety-off-the-streets-workgroup. SOS Workground is the shelter, immediate-response focused part, and advisory group, of the county homelessness administrative authority (A Home For Everyone). So it's a key place, in terms of funding / general policy, where many of us in PDX Shelter Forum might engage given our interests here. See 'About SOS'' below for more about it. ABOUT SOS http://ahomeforeveryone.net/safety-off-the-streets-workgroup. "In October 2014, the Safety off the Streets Workgroup was created as a subcommittee of the Coordinating Board and charged with developing an action plan, that prioritized strategies for increasing options for safety and a good night’s sleep, such that no women, children, or adults with disabilities have to sleep on the streets of Multnomah County by January 2017. The action plan includes policy and funding recommendations from the workgroup’s analysis of the need and what it would take to build a system to begin to address that need. [...] "Going forward, the Safety off the Streets Workgroup will oversee implementation of shelter development, coordinated entry, best practices strategy, monitor new shelter initiatives, develop public spaces engagement/management strategies, oversee severe weather response, oversee development and implementation of street and shelter count methodology, and shape safety off the streets related budget recommendations." -- Tim McCormick Housing Alternatives Network +1 503.334.1894. Zoom personal room. Director Oregon Cooperative Housing Network, Editor at HousingWiki,Organizer at Village Collaborative
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: TODAY 1-2:15pm research webinar: Addressing Homelessness at Portland State; Villages study
Peter Finley Fry
The PSU presentation was very interesting. I would not have known about it if it was not for pdxshelterforum. Thank you.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Peter Finley Fry
303 NW Uptown Terrace #1B
Portland, Oregon 97210
503 703-8033
On Nov 14, 2021, at 10:09 AM, Andrew Olshin via groups.io <Andrew.Olshin@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Re: TODAY 1-2:15pm research webinar: Addressing Homelessness at Portland State; Villages study
Andrew Olshin
Hi. Was this recorded?
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Thanks, Andy Olshin
On Nov 12, 2021, at 4:14 PM, Tim McCormick <tmccormick@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|