OT Three Hotels Approaching Foreclosure in the Heart of Portland Offer a Warning to City Leaders

That more than explains your passion on the subject. Thanks for sharing. Its easy to forget that there are real people behind these issues and stories, and everyone deserves a fighting chance.

 

Totally agree, it mystifies me that there’s a huge labor shortage, and tons of labor lying listlessly on sidewalks. It’s like the answer is obvious to both, and yet there’s no coordination or political will to make it happen.

 

Yes. And this needs to happen ASAP. These poor people are suffering. Get them into a home and get them the help they need.

Yes, and they'll be better off in an apartment. Get them into a warm, secure home. A monthly rent voucher, food stamps, a social worker helping them to navigate the system and re-establish themselves. We have the money for this. It's cheaper than allowing them to remain homeless.

When they find work they pay 1/3 of their full time salary as rent.

Agreed.

Yes, this might work, as long as busses run regularly to and from this location to down town.

Agreed, there is still much more to be done. But these would address most of the problems fairly quickly, and we can ramp up services from there.

 

There aren't close to enough homeless to address our labor shortage. And that shortage is only going to grow for a while.

 

Keep in mind the one HUGE key factor in trying to help them.

They must want and accept the help.

It has been my experience that most deny the help and prefer to be destructive to themselves and their surroundings.
Cant help those who don't want to help themselves

 

Was there this summer and man you are right. First night we were there (Thursday) we went to a cool area not far from DT and grabbed some food, decided we would bar hop our way back to the hotel. Once we got past the first couple blocks of the neighborhood we were in, NOTHING until we got back to the stadium and even they were closing up by 11 on a Thursday. The next night we were out and about, got back to the hotel around 10 and decided to head in another direction to find some food, absolutely nothing open and no one on the streets. Ended up having to get take out from Hooters as that was literally the only food option DT. I didn't even notice much in the way of homelessness or people panhandling. Sounds like they had a horrible case of violence down there and now no one goes down there after dark. Never really felt like we were in danger walking around but aside from going to a Cardinals game (trying to see every MLB stadium), we have ZERO desire to ever go back, feeling like we did pretty much everything we wanted to do in one weekend.

 

They can either take a home, move to a different city, or be forced into a prison or rehab.

Choice is theirs.

 

You know most will end up in prison right?

 

Co-workers told me that right outside the city of STL there were homes, empty, and if you just mowed the lawn and took care of it…it’s yours. I didn’t believe it, but they were like, no, you get to have it, it’s not worth anything.

 

That hasn't happened in any other housing first effort. It shouldn't happen in this one.

Again, we have blueprints to do this right (which means helping nearly all of these people) and save a TON of money. All we need to do is follow them.

 

Different parts of the world with different mindsets. The models are out the window when it comes to different cultures and behaviors.

And i would submit it is already happening. Id have to research, but i believe i already read that some small temp housing places have already been trashed by the inhabitants. That is not a model i would follow. Not interested in tossing money down the drain just cause “we have it”, which we really don't. Not if we consider the aging infrastructure of our bridges, highways and other things that should have much more spent on them than we currently are spending.

id prefer to put more money into education than into homeless camps. The money isn't really there unless we deny other facets full funds to be successful.
And no, in this global climate, im not interested in reducing military funding.

 

The best way would be to begin in a housing first situation with a social worker helping to walk you through the process. Even without an ID, having a secure address makes that person known. So the social worker has a much better chance to help them resolve their issues.

 

Our culture isn't appreciably different than the city of Salt Lake City.

What you are describing hasn't happened in ANY Housing First effort.

 

its happening right here in Portland though.

 

No it's not. If that happens it's not a housing first effort. It can't happen in a legit Housing First effort.

Only people who are dangerous would be put in jail. The incentives don't align that way.