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Join Us! We’re Breaking Ground.

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Human Solutions is pleased to host this groundbreaking celebration as we begin construction on our newest project, including mixed-income affordable housing development and Human Solutions’ service center and office space. The project features ground-floor retail operated by Prosper Portland along Halsey Street and Discovery Park, a wonderful new urban park built by the folks at Portland Parks and Recreation. The project is located in East Portland's Gateway neighborhood, where we are excited to become a contributing neighbor.

We are developing this project with our terrific partner Gerding-Edlen.

You'll find tasty (and of course local) treats, inspiring words, golden shovels, and an important land acknowledgement. We’ll also reveal the building’s new name! And 20 or so months later, we'll invite you back for the Grand Opening 🙂

PLEASE JOIN US!

RSVP here.

August eNews: Lots happening @ Human Solutions!

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This month has been a whirlwind of activity here at Human Solutions - including a visit from Mayor Wheeler to our awesome after-school program, planning for our inspiring fall speaker, and a robust community conversation about homelessness – among much else! Happily, we were still able to find time to gather for an all-staff picnic last week to connect with each other in a beautiful place and honor our team for their tremendous work every day. Here’s the full scoop:

Come Listen to Mia Birdsong Reframe Poverty

We’re very excited to open registration for our fall speaker event. Be sure to save the date! Mia Birdsong gave a TED Talk in 2015 that went viral. We’re bringing her to Portland to address a topic that is at the heart of what we do and who we are: poverty and how people view those who experience it. This is an opportunity to open our minds, explore our biases and learn to see things in new ways. Plus: it’s free and there’s food! What are you waiting for!?! Register here (it's free but space is limited). Spread the word on Facebook here.

 

We’re Concerned About the Proposed Change in the Public Charge Rule

As you may be aware, the Trump Administration has been moving a policy change through the rulemaking process that could go into effect this fall related to how we determine when an immigrant is considered a “public charge” and denied entry (here’s a nice overview of the concept). Human Solutions does NOT support the shift and believes it to be harmful to our immigrant neighbors – whom we welcome with open arms. We rely on expert organizations like the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) to guide us, and want to share their tools to help others understand what’s at stake and how to respond. A quick overview from them:

“On August 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule related to public charge in the Federal Register. The rule will not take effect until October 15, 2019. Additionally, many organizations have indicated they will file lawsuits challenging the legality of the rule. Thus, even after publication, legal challenges could delay implementation.

The new rule has created confusion and fear in our communities. Because it is very difficult to understand who might be impacted, many immigrant families have decided to disenroll or refuse enrolling in programs that are necessary to survive and thrive. Many immigrants remain exempt from this public charge rule and many immigrants continue to be eligible for various programs.” 

We encourage you to learn more from the ILRC here and share where needed. Human Solutions believes that this kind of anti-immigrant fear mongering is neither good for our community nor true to our values as a nation. We oppose this new policy.

We Hosted a Community Conversation on Homelessness

Earlier this month we hosted a gathering for members of our community to learn, ask questions and share their thoughts about the humanitarian crisis of homelessness in our area. We welcomed 55 people into a productive discussion where we shared personal experiences, considered how our humanity works in this moment, and tried to grasp the enormity of the causes that led us here – and how we might solve them. Our goal is to discuss both the practical how-tos and the big picture questions that we’re all grappling with. We are considering where to host our next one – stay tuned!

Homelessness Isn’t the Crisis You Think It Is

This is a powerful opinion piece by Marisa Zapata, an associate professor at PSU who directs the Homeless Research and Action Collaborative. What resonates with us is her focus on the underlying systems that are broken and her insistence that if we don’t turn our attention to those systems we won’t – can’t - end homelessness.

“To truly stop homelessness, we need to fix the long-term systemic issues that lead to it in the first place. We need universal rights to safe and quality housing and universal health care so no one is forced to choose between buying insulin and making rent. We need major criminal justice reform that does not sentence people to life on the streets and an overhaul of how we support those with addiction and major mental illnesses so recovery is possible for everyone. We need stronger protections for historically marginalized communities so your ZIP code, gender identity or skin color doesn't dictate your future.”

Hear, hear

Mayor Wheeler Shopped at Our Young Entrepreneur’s Market

Home-made stress balls, snow cones and ice-cream sundaes are just the start of the fastest-growing farmers market in Portland --hosted by youth in Human Solutions’ LearnLinks after-school and summer program! After conducting market research on a field trip to Saturday Market in downtown Portland, the students opened their own stands at Lincoln Woods, one of our 17 affordable housing communities. Together they earned almost $200, Portland Mayor Wheeler was among the shoppers! Human Solutions aims to level the playing field for youth from low-income families, and our LearnLinks program is one way we are doing that.

Annual Staff Picnic @ Blue Lake Regional Park

Every summer we gather our whole 130-person team for an afternoon of connection, celebration and thanks. Human Solutions staff work hard every day in often challenging circumstances, so making time to honor their work and eat a meal together is gratifying. We work out of six locations, so bringing everyone together is tricky but really important to foster teamwork and create a workplace where we know each other as whole people. Plus, it’s way more fun and effective to work with folks you know. We shared a LOT of photos on Facebook (which you can peruse here). ‘Til next year!

2019 Point-In Time Homelessness Count Was Released

Every other year the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) requires communities that receive its funds to conduct a one-night count of people the department defines as homeless. Multnomah County completed its count in January and released the findings this summer. You’ll find the report here, including a new online dashboard. We invite you to get our (short) take here. Key caution: the data is useful, but typically results in undercounts and does not produce a full picture of homelessness in our community.

THANK YOU for your ongoing interest in and support of our work in the community. If you have any questions for us or would like to learn more about what we are doing, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our main line is 503.548.0200 or you can email our Communications & Development Director, Lisa Frack.

On Homelessness: 2019 Point-In-Time Count

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Every other year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires communities that receive its funding, which we do here in Multnomah County - to conduct a count of people experiencing homelessness according to its definition (in short, people living on the street, in shelters, or transitional housing). It is not a perfect tool to understand the state of homelessness in our community, but it does generate useful data that we can learn from. The 2019 count was conducted in January and released in early August. You'll find the report here. We reviewed it and have some thoughts about what it says: 

  • Families are homeless in unique (hard to count) ways. We work with mostly with families, so the fact that homelessness among families with dependent children is down in this year’s count is of course great news. However, the data is limited in a variety of ways, so while we find it useful, we rely more on our day-to-day experience working with families who are either experiencing homelessness or on the verge of it. The demand for our services among those two groups remains very high. The 211 wait list is a fair indicator of need for services among families, and it is hovering around 600 right now. And with families in particular, they tend to double up with friends and family when they are homeless, which makes them very hard to count in a count like this. When a report like this comes out, it’s important to remember how hard it is for so many families to stay afloat with housing costs so high and wages not keeping up. They may not show up in a count like this, but they are struggling.
  • People of Color are over-represented. In many ways this report proves what we know, especially when it comes to the demographics of who is experiencing homelessness in our community. People of Color have been and continue to be over-represented among those experiencing homelessness, for reasons we know all too well: historic (and ongoing) racism, sky-high wealth inequality, long-term barriers to housing, unequal pay, and the list goes on. Many providers, like Human Solutions, are (and have been) very aware of this and, as a result, tailor our programs and staffing to meet the specific needs of marginalized, historically oppressed communities. We’re also focusing on policy change that removes barriers, like updating rental screening barriers and enabling more justice record expungement.
  • What you see on the streets. Those of us working in this area have long known that our community lacks enough permanent supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness, which translates to the many people we all see every day living in places unfit for human habitation. The good news is that voters and our local governments have recently prioritized this type of housing, so in time we think fewer of our neighbors will be unsheltered. This investment comes too late, but we’re hopeful about its impact.
  • Programs are working, but aren’t sufficient. Human Solutions’ programs to help people find housing security are working, but to solve the problem we need more funding to meet the current need (we routinely turn people away for assistance due to insufficient funds) AND we need to stop the inflow of NEW people becoming homeless by addressing the region’s housing affordability crisis.
  • Heartbreak and triumph. On this issue, it’s important to remember that there is both heartbreak AND triumph. What you see everyday as you go about your business may seem only like heartbreak. But in our line of work, we see a lot of triumph, too, where people who are homeless find a path back to housing security, and people who are at risk of homelessness hang onto their housing. Human Solutions’ role is to help folks through crisis moments and, increasingly, to fix the broken systems that send them there in the first place.

This report is both limited in its methodology and scope, but also rich with useful data. If you are interested in getting involved in our work to help people avoid and move past homelessness, please reach out to Christina, our Shelter Donations & Volunteer Coordinator: 503.278.1637 or via email.

July eNews: Community Conversation on Homelessness

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Hi!

I’m really glad that you are part of the Human Solutions family. Every month when I write this update to share, it heartens me to know that you are rooting us on. Our work can be hard, but it is also incredibly rewarding. Thanks for caring.

As usual, we have lots to cover!

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ON HOMELESNESS: JOIN US!

First and foremost, I want to invite you to our first Community Conversation on Wednesday evening, August 7th from 6 to 8 PM. Do you have questions and/or thoughts about what’s going on in our community when it comes to homelessness? Let’s talk about them!

As an emergency shelter provider for women and families and an affordable housing developer and operator (among other programs we offer), we have expertise and opinions to share that we think might be relevant. We very much want to hear from you and respond to your questions. Please join us and invite friends who might be interested. Details are on our web page and on Facebook. No RSVP required, just drop in! Stark Street Station, our gracious host in the Mt. Tabor neighborhood, has beer/wine, sweet treats and light dinner fare for purchase (lasagna, pot pies, quiche, etc…). Questions? Contact Lisa Frack, at 503.548.0282 or lfrack@humansolutions.org.

DREAMS DO COME TRUE: ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY

Romero Gonzalez is a single mother of four children and, like many (all?!) mothers, she had a dream for her children to graduate from high school and then college – every one of them. She entered our Alder Family Program* in 2012, and since then her dream has started to come true. Luis, her oldest who is now 18, graduated from high school last year and is currently enrolled at Portland Community College. Luis recently called Human Solutions’ Family Advocate, Yolanda, to thank her for helping him with his Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). He received $3,000; enough to cover his full tuition for fall 2019!

Yolanda writes:

“I am so proud of this kiddo. I remember he wanted to give up because we were having trouble with FAFSA. I encouraged him to not to give up and keep trying. I also encouraged him to talk to his academic advisor at PCC, to ask the staff for help and to guide him with his Federal Student Aid.  Now he is successfully enrolled for classes this fall. This is why I love what I do, because we are here to support the whole family and give the children a chance to grow.”

* The Alder Family Program is an effective program that Human Solutions participates in with several other local providers (Home Forward and Greater Than). Its purpose is to help students who attend Alder Elementary School (in the Reynolds School District) to thrive in school and to help their families maintain stable housing so that students can remain in the same school. Housing instability too often causes kids to switch schools, which can hinder their education.

SHOP AMAZON TO HELP OUR NEW SHELTER FOR FAMILIES

Our emergency shelter team maintains a Wish List on Amazon to make it super easy for you to contribute just what they need - by literally only lifting a finger! Next time you’re online (oh, you are right now!?!), check out what we are in need of and send us a package! Here’s the link.

Learn more here about Lilac Meadows, our new emergency shelter for families opening this summer.

STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION: WHAT HAPPENED WITH HOUSING?

Despite the unusual and dramatic end to our 2019 state legislative session, a lot of good bills became laws, many related to affordable housing. Human Solutions engages in advocacy related to housing and homelessness through the Oregon Housing Alliance, a statewide organization devoted to affordable housing for all Oregonians. We are grateful to be members of this dedicated group and proud of what we all accomplished together this session. As Alison McIntosh, the group’s terrific leader stated, “…we have helped secure significant resources to create and maintain more affordable homes, to prevent and end homelessness for more Oregonians, and to help people maintain access to affordable homeownership.” Read all the details on their blog.

SUMMER READING: HERE’S A GREAT PICK!

The Warmth of Other Suns is Isabel Wilkerson’s epic story of America’s Great Migration. Wilkerson devoted 15 years to the research and writing of the book. She interviewed over 1,200 people, unearthed archival works and gathered the voices of the famous and the unknown to tell the epic story of the Great Migration, one of the biggest underreported stories of the 20th Century and one of the largest migrations in American history. The book was named to more than 30 Best of the Year lists, won the National Book Critics Circle Award, among other honors, and made national news when President Obama chose it for summer reading in 2011. In 2012, The New York Times named The Warmth of Other Suns to its list of the best nonfiction books of all time. It is important AND a page turner. We can’t put it down! Grab a copy at the Multnomah County library today!

Thanks, as always, for reading. I am grateful to you for your compassion for those among us in need right now. As the Dalai Lama has said, “Compassion is the radicalism of our time.”

Radically yours,

 

 

 

Andy Miller, Executive Director

PS – You can *always* make a donation to fuel our work – it’s easy to do online: https://humansolutions.org/giving/

eNews – June 2019

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Hi everyone,

It may not technically be summer yet, but it sure is starting to feel like it! We are busy preparing to open our new emergency shelter for families, Lilac Meadows, in the coming weeks. We can always use extra hands preparing and serving meals (contact Christina to learn more). While shelter is not the solution to homelessness, it is an important part of the puzzle. We pride ourselves on working to support shelter residents with their journey back to housing and economic security.

In other news that we think might interest you:

Our After-School Program Took a Trip to Salem

This spring, our LearnLinks after-school program team took a group of students on a field trip to our state capitol in Salem. The kids learned about their state government, toured the Capitol building and met some legislators. Seeing how and where laws are made – and who makes them – is so important for our future voters and leaders. We need far more voices at the table, and this is one way to open the doors to civic engagement. LearnLinks offers homework help, school-family connection support, outings like this one, summer lunches and more!

 

Newsflash: Homelessness is Bad for Your Health (and now there’s proof)

We've always thought that homelessness is a risk to human health - recent research has now confirmed it. Researchers have been studying the health impacts of homelessness, and the results are clear: people experiencing homelessness have diseases and symptoms that typically afflict people decades older. As cited in the linked article, “although the participants’ average age is 57, they experience strokes, falls, visual impairment and urinary incontinence at rates typical of US residents in their late 70s and 80s.” The research could be an important tool to reframe how funders, providers and governments define and solve the problem. By treating homelessness as a public health issue and a housing/economic stability issue, we believe it will lead to greater urgency and new resources to find real solutions.

You can listen to a great interview with one of the researchers, a Bay Area doctor, here. As he says, "Nothing I have in my black bag improves the health of a homeless person ... other than housing.”

Your (Anti-Racism) Summer Reading List

What’s on your summer reading list? May we suggest at least one book from an inspiring and important list? One of Human Solutions' four Strategic & Equity Plan goals is to be an anti-racist organization. The correlation between racism and housing equity is longstanding and problematic; we cannot have housing equity without addressing racism and how it has and still does impact housing policy and opportunities.

One important path toward becoming anti-racist is to understand systemic racism, our country’s unique brand of it, and to know what being anti-racist means. Not everyone can access in-person trainings on this (though there are local opportunities), but thanks to our terrific public library system, many more of us can get hold of a book. We think this anti-racist reading list from the New York Times is a good one. As its author writes, “Think of it as a stepladder to antiracism, each step addressing a different stage of the journey toward destroying racism’s insidious hold on all of us.”

 

Investing in Affordable Housing is More Than Building New Units

We are excited to share the news about a recent “rehab” project we completed in Fairview, where one of our 17 affordable housing communities is located. Residents of this 45-unit community now enjoy a fresh coat of exterior paint, mobility ramps, an outdoor children’s play area, new interiors and a new roof, to name just a few of the upgrades.

While building more housing is a necessary part of solving our housing and homelessness crises, we also must maintain the affordable housing we already have.

Read more about the project and our grand re-opening celebration in The Gresham Outlook.

Happy Holidays (Already!?!)

Okay so, it’s not quite winter holiday season yet! But for us, the planning for our Annual Toy Drive is very much underway. We invite you to be a part of our 15th year of this joyful tradition. All the details you’ll need to join in are on our web site – and this year we have sponsorship opportunities! Is your business interested in supporting a great community event? We know how to make event sponsorships a win-win.

 

 

Well that was a lot of news! I hope that you are enjoying the longer days and warmer weather of summer. We appreciate you keeping up with our work and being part of our community. So many are struggling in our region, but together we are making an enormous difference.

Gratefully,

 

 

 

Andy Miller, Executive Director

PS – If you want to do something to address our homelessness crisis, make a gift to support Human Solutions today!

Moving back home from homelessness | May Update

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Once again it’s been a busy month here at Human Solutions! Thanks to everyone for a very successful “Friends and Family” gathering at McMenamins’ Power Station Pub – we earned $3,000 because you came out to eat and enjoy each other’s company! We always appreciate the generous support of our local business community and your help in making that possible – thank you! Here are the top stories in our neck of the woods:

Introducing Lilac Meadows, our New Shelter for Families
We are thrilled to share the news with you that our emergency shelter program for families has found a new permanent home! In partnership with the Joint Office of Homeless Services, Human Solutions will be moving our program that supports families experiencing homelessness into a wonderful new shelter called Lilac Meadows in SE Portland, where the need is great.

To open Lilac Meadows, Multnomah County is “master leasing” an existing motel that we will update to best serve families experiencing homelessness. Human Solutions will sublease the motel from the County and operate it as a shelter. Residents of Lilac Meadows will enjoy the privacy that works best for families – something lacking in older-style mass shelters where everyone sleeps in the same room. We worked actively with the Joint Office of Homeless Services to identify a location that offers amenities families need, like a nearby park and grocery stores, access to public transit and ample parking.

 

In this new home, we can accommodate up to 40 families at a time. Human Solutions will provide families at Lilac Meadows with caring support, help accessing community services and assistance finding and securing their next permanent home. Our program at Lilac Meadows builds on our strong track record helping families find – and keep – permanent housing. Last year, 93% of the households we helped find housing remained housed a year later!

Learn more here and get info about how you can help by emailing Christina, our awesome volunteer and donations coordinator.

Meet Pat, She’s Working Hard to Move Back Home from Homelessness

Pat met her husband 48 years ago at Jefferson High School in NE Portland, where she later worked as a school secretary - one of three positions she held over a 37-year career! Together, they have three kids and now six grandchildren - with another on the way in Atlanta.

But in 2013 the wheels came off for Pat, as they sometimes can, one at a time. First a separation, which led to Pat losing her home of 50 years in NE Portland. Next, she moved in with her daughter. When that situation didn’t last, Pat moved into her car, where she lived for two years. Ultimately Pat was left with nothing but the clothes on her back. That was when she reached out for help. She found her way to Human Solutions’ Gresham Women’s Shelter, a safe, welcoming environment to get the support it takes to find a stable place to call home.

Pat is scheduled to move into her own place next month, which is terrific news! Her journey back to housing stability took a lot of hard work on her part - and expert support on ours.

Will you help those experiencing homelessness in our community – like Pat -move into stable housing? The value of your support is truly priceless. Your support helps us work with people like Pat to secure and keep their next home – a place to do everything from cooking favorite meals to hosting grandkids for a special sleepover with grandma. Home is a place for kids to do homework, cuddle up in a warm bed, eat their favorite family dishes, and to simply have a play date with a friend. On any given night, 130 households (about 210 people) stay in our two shelters. We want to help every one of our shelter residents find a safe and stable place to call home.

Just click here to say yes. With community support we can help Pat - and so many like her – move from homelessness to housing. Together, this is something we can do!

East County Update: Relevant Data & Conversations

Human Solutions has been working in East Portland/East Multnomah County since we opened our doors in 1988. It’s our home. We are paying close attention to the changes here and to how those changes will impact our neighbors. I recently had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion about the state of East Multnomah County – one of the poorest and most diverse areas in Oregon - and how we can move forward to ensure that current residents can thrive and resist the displacement projected as this area experiences redevelopment. Here are two data points that we are focusing on:

  • 20% of households in the area live below the federal poverty level (on average, 2013-17). That’s higher compared to the state of Oregon (15%) and Portland metropolitan area (12%). For context, the federal poverty level is very low: $25,750 for a family of four, for example.
  • 61% of renters are cost-burdened – which means they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing – the limit that HUD research shows is affordable for any household. Further, 35% of renter households are “severely” cost-burdened, meaning more than half of their income is spent on rent. For these families, homelessness is a real threat every month because they simply cannot afford to pay rent and meet other essential household expenses like food and medication.

You can read more about the report and the forum here. This is an important conversation we plan to continue until real solutions are identified.

Good Read | MAID: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive

This mother’s experience with domestic violence, poverty, substandard housing, low-wage pay without benefits, and government subsidies (that helped but weren’t easy) is an important eye opener for those who have not walked in those shoes. And one thing we can surely use more of today is more time spent in others’ shoes. This challenging time in Stephanie Land’s life takes place in the Pacific Northwest, too, so the backdrop is familiar and reminds us how close to home all this is.

“Rent plus groceries plus utilities plus laundry plus insurance plus gas plus clothing minus an hourly paycheck of barely more than minimum wage and the scant assistance parceled out by the government with spectacular reluctance — the brute poetry of home economics recurs throughout Land’s book.”
Read a review here and reserve it at Multnomah County Library here.

Things We Need, Ways to Help
We depend on and are grateful for our generous community, which so often steps up when we put out the call. This month we have two priority needs:

  • New Ovens: Our emergency women’s shelter needs a stove/oven upgrade and two new refrigerators. We estimate the cost to be around $10,000. We cook three meals every day for 90 women and 40 families, and our current equipment is no longer adequate and beginning to fail. Contact Marci, our Emergency Services Director if you are able to help.
  • After-School Program Volunteers: Our after-school program, LearnLinks, depends on volunteers to chaperone local summer field trips with kids in kindergarten to 8th grade. Got some free time this summer? Like working with kids? Great! Get in touch with our program manager Tonya Parson to learn more: tparson@humansolutions.org or 503. 548.0210.

Thanks, as always, for reading and paying attention to what’s happening here in East Portland/East Multnomah County. The need for change and investment is urgent and we are glad to have you as part of the Human Solutions family as we work hard to fulfill our mission.

Our Community Can Help People Move from Homelessness to Home

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People in the Portland area ask us all the time, "how can I help solve our homeless crisis?" In response, we have an opportunity for you. But I first want to share a story with you about a wonderful woman named Pat. It's also a story about how homelessness can happen, and how with the right support people can find their way back home.

Pat found a supportive place at the Gresham Women's Shelter. Now's your chance to help Pat and other women like her find their way home!

Pat met her husband 48 years ago at Jefferson High School in NE Portland, where she later worked as school secretary - one of three service jobs she held over a 37-year career! Together, they have three kids and now six grandchildren – with another on the way in Atlanta.

But in 2013 the wheels came off, as they can, one at a time. First a separation, which led to Pat losing her home of 50 years in NE Portland. Next, she moved in with her daughter. When that situation didn’t last, Pat moved into her car, where she lived for two years. Ultimately she was left with nothing but the clothes on her back. That was when Pat reached out for help. She found her way to Human Solutions’ Gresham Women’s Shelter, a safe and welcoming environment where our expert team worked with her to find a pathway back home.

Pat is scheduled to move into her own place as early as June, which is really exciting. Her journey back to housing and economic stability took a lot of hard work on her part and expert support on ours. Of course there’s another key ingredient to obtaining and maintaining a home: funds.

To help Pat - and many others - move forward, Human Solutions removes barriers to housing, like paying off past debts that can lead landlords to deny applications. We also cover the expensive move-in costs that make it so hard for those without savings to find housing – like application fees, security deposit, and even a few months’ rent (not cheap in the Portland area, as you know).

Will you help those experiencing homelessness in our community – like Pat - move into stable housing? The value of your support is truly priceless. It is someone having a place to cook their own meal, to store (and wash!) their clothes, to shower, to host grandkids, to return to after a day’s work. It is a place for kids to do homework, sleep on a bed, eat hot food, invite a friend over. On any given night, 130 households (about 210 people) stay in our two shelters. We aim to help each find a safe and stable place to call home.

What you can do today in this humanitarian crisis is help Human Solutions do what we do so well: work one-on-one with shelter residents to find a place to call home. Pat is among the strongest people we know. She has climbed mountains to get where she is today, on the verge of moving into her own place. Let’s be there for Pat and the many others like her. As she told us recently, “I’m a survivor. It was a rough journey, but I’m going to make it!”

You can help our community members have a home. Please know that you are making a real difference for people experiencing homelessness in our community.

Economic Check-Up for East County

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 ECONorthwest and the Portland Business Alliance recently released their annual Economic Check-Up produced bywas recently released. There continue to be positive signs overall for Portland even with a slowing economy, but the housing unit stock remain low.

This report not only identified the challenges this area is experiencing, but the opportunities to create equitable prosperity across the region… it is critical that every part of our region thrives.

- Andrew Yoan, president and CEO of the Portland Business Alliance said.

East Portland, however, continues to struggle from a growing population in the Portland Metro. 60 percent of renters in East Portland are cost-burdened (committing over 30% of their income to rent) and 35% are severely cost burdened (committing 50% of their income to rent).

Find the Economic Check-Up report here and hear interpretations of the information from Andy Miller, Human Solutions' Executive Director, along with a panel of experts in the Portland area here.

 

Announcing Lilac Meadows – a new shelter for families experiencing homelessness

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We are thrilled to share the news with you that our emergency shelter program for families has found a new permanent home! In partnership with the Joint Office of Homeless Services (an office that coordinates resources to address homelessness from the City of Portland and Multnomah County), Human Solutions will be moving our program that supports families experiencing homelessness into a wonderful new shelter called Lilac Meadows in SE Portland, where the need is so great.

Human Solutions has been providing emergency shelter and pathways back to permanent housing for families experiencing homelessness for decades. Over the years, we have updated our programs based on best practices and an evolving understanding locally and nationally about how to best work with families experiencing homelessness so they can quickly and sustainably move forward into their own safe, affordable place to call home - something we believe everyone deserves. Stable housing is the essential first step towards long-term economic security.

Best practices for providing emergency shelter for families

To open Lilac Meadows, Multnomah County is “master leasing” an existing motel that we will update to best serve families experiencing homelessness. Human Solutions will sublease the motel from the County and operate it as a shelter. Residents of Lilac Meadows will enjoy the privacy that works best for families – something lacking in older-style mass shelters where everyone sleeps in the same room. We worked actively with the Joint Office of Homeless Services to identify a location that offers amenities families need, like a nearby park and grocery stores, access to public transit and ample parking. In this new home, we can accommodate up to 40 families at a time. Human Solutions will provide families at Lilac Meadows with caring support, help accessing community services and assistance finding and securing their next permanent home. Our program at Lilac Meadows will build on our strong track record helping families find – and keep - permanent housing. Last year, 93% of the households we helped find housing remained housed a year later!

Redeveloping the former shelter site into permanent affordable housing

You may recall that last year we decided with officials at Multnomah County to close the Human Solutions Family Center due to leaks in the ceiling at the mass shelter space. Since then, we have continued to provide shelter and services for families experiencing homelessness in area motels. When we purchased the Family Center property in 2015, our plan was to use the well-worn building as a shelter for a short-term period and then redevelop the site into badly-needed affordable housing. With the pending opening of Lilac Meadows, we have determined not to reopen the building as a shelter and are now actively planning to build a new permanent affordable housing community on that site in close collaboration with neighborhood stakeholders. Before deciding to relocate, we thoroughly assessed that space for its appropriateness to serve as an ongoing shelter and decided with the County to move forward with repurposing the site. Watch for news from Human Solutions as this project moves forward. We are very excited about the potential for this site to provide permanent homes for families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity!

How can you help?

Our emergency shelter programs are actively supported by community members – in fact, we couldn’t do what we do without you! If you’d like to be part of this exciting opening and ongoing family shelter program, here are our top needs at the moment (stay tuned, needs change over time!):

  • Make a gift to our fundraising campaign! We are working hard to raise $50,000 for this new location to complement public funding. Human Solutions will be responsible for on-site programming for kids, three meals/day for all residents, staff training, installing garden beds, and more. Click here to be part of getting this amazing new space off the ground!
  • Make & serve meals. Human Solutions prides itself on providing nutritious meals for shelter residents three times a day plus an after-school snack for kids. Our amazing Volunteer and Donations Coordinator Christina is the right person to contact to learn more and sign up; reach her at volunteer@humansolutions.org.
  • Shop our Amazon Wish List. This has got to be the most effective way to donate exactly what we need! Shelter staff maintain this Wish List so you know you are donating exactly what is needed. Check it out and send what feels right to you. We’ll put it all to good use!

As we prepare to settle into our new space with resident families, we will keep you updated about progress and changing needs. THANK YOU for all that you do to lend a helping hand! The families we work with struggle against so many structural barriers put in place by a system that simply does not work for everyone.

If you would like additional information about the new shelter, please visit County’s informational page.

We deeply appreciate the incredible community support that has long been afforded to families experiencing homelessness in our area and look forward to continuing that trend as we transition to this new location.

April News from Human Solutions

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We are moving past the extreme cold weather, which is a relief for our community members trying to survive on the streets. Here's what's happening this month at Human Solutions:

JOIN US TONIGHT, APRIL 9TH!

We hope you’ll grab a bite to eat with us tonight (Tuesday, April 9th) at McMenamins’ Power Station Pub @ Edgefield. All are welcome, including kids! McMenamins will generously donate 50% of the evening’s proceeds to Human Solutions (thank you, McMenamins!). What a fun way to support a good cause! Human Solutions' management and staff will be there to welcome and visit with supporters. We hope you can make it!

IT'S FAIR HOUSING MONTH!

The Fair Housing Council's 2019 Poster Contest winner. Created by student Jaytee Franko.

April is Fair Housing Month, and our partners at the Fair Housing Council of Oregon deserve a big shout out for the work they do every month to ensure that every Oregonian is treated fairly when they seek housing. The Council tells us that they are frequently asked, “Is discrimination really still a problem?" Their resounding answer to this question is “YES!” We invite you to take a spin around the Council’s informative web site to familiarize yourself with the law and how unlawful housing discrimination continues to impact Oregonians. If you have a question or a complaint related to illegal housing discrimination, call (800) 424-3247 ext. 2.The Fair Housing Council offers phone support in whatever language you need. The Council offers information and services for individuals and for folks in the housing industry to help them comply with the law.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: LIVING SOLUTIONS

We offer employment services to very-low and no-income adults seeking to boost their earnings and pursue living-wage careers. Living Solutions is one such program, with a focus on people who live in Gresham. Our career specialists provide one-on-one support to:

  • identify career paths
  • plan how to move forward toward a goal
  • connect folks to skills training (think: healthcare, driving, construction)
  • offer resume and interview coaching
  • provide rent assistance when needed (it can be a challenge to pay the rent while in unpaid training programs!)
  • supply new work clothes
  • and more!

Half of the people we work with in this program come to us with no income at all (and some lack housing, which we help them with). The success rate is pretty impressive, with an average annual income boost of $15,000 and a 365% return on investment over a 6-year period. We’re grateful to the City of Gresham for the support they provide for this work.

WORK WITH US! WE’RE HIRING.

Human Solutions is a rewarding place to work. We’re hiring for a range of positions right now and encourage you to see if there might be a good fit for you or a friend. Take a look and spread the word!

NEW BOOK, LOCAL AUTHOR: “SURVIVAL MATH: GROWING UP BLACK IN PORTLAND”

Mitchell S. Jackson has a new book out. The topic he tackles, growing up black in Portland (not Portlandia, as he says) couldn’t be more relevant to the housing crisis and the way some people are more impacted than others – and always have been. Oregon Public Broadcasting recently shared a fascinating conversation with Mitchell as he and the host of “Think Out Loud” walked the streets of Mitchell’s childhood; a place where the show host now lives. You can listen here – and the book is available from our local library, which offers paper and e-reader versions.

For a national and historical perspective on racism in Portland, this Atlantic article from 2016 remains relevant.

Monthly Giving @ Human Solutions: Become a PATHBuilder Today!

Human Solutions’ PATHBuilders program is an excellent way to conveniently support the work we are doing to help people in our community get back on their feet in this housing crisis. If you believe, as we do, that everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home, this new program is a great way to be part of the solution. Sign up today! (Or call Matt on our team and he’ll help you get signed up: 503.548.0279)

Thank you for reading – and especially for caring about those in our community experiencing the devastating impacts of poverty and homelessness and wanting to change the broken policies that cause them.

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