Does Salem Need a Homelessness Commission?

Revised: December 2019

By Sarah Owens and Michael Livingston

The Salem Breakfast on Bikes blog  reports that, according to a recent phone survey, homelessness ranks high in the list of concerns that Salem residents want the City to address.

The survey also said that, "When asked in an open-ended format what issue is most important for city leaders to address, 21% mentioned an issue relating to housing or homelessness.  This is a 13 percentage point increase since this question was asked in May 2016." 

SBOB was given a copy by "a reader", but were eventually posted to the City's website.

The increased concern between May and December is pretty predictable, being attributable at least in part to the onset of cold weather, charitable holiday activities, and media attention.   Happens every winter and dissipates every spring.

Statesman Journal

Salem has a new mayor.  According to a recent interview with him on KMUZ's Willamette Wake Up and the Statesman Journal, Bennett is thinking of creating a commission on homelessness.  Does Salem need another commission?  Can such a commission replace, enhance or coordinate any existing  organizations? 

SRC Chapter 20G

The Urban Development, Community Services and Housing Commission (CSHC) is charged under SRC Chapter 20G to execute certain duties that it does not currently fulfill.  Would those duties be given over to the new commission?  Why? 

Salem's Ward 1 has a new councilor.  Cara Kaser also takes an interest in homelessness, but her interest, according to the Statesman Journal, is in "tackling homelessness in the downtown area", taking "action as opposed to planning for a silver bullet solution."  What "action" does she have in mind?  What did she mean by "silver bullet solution"?  Is she talking with the mayor about his homelessness commission idea?      

Statesman Journal

Governor Brown told the Statesman Journal that our new mayor "gets how government works" and has priorities that include affordable housing and the needs of the homeless in Salem.  

That's good to know.  

Whether the City should work through an existing board or commission or create a new one remains to be seen.  We just want to see the City do more to live up to its responsibilities to address the needs of its homeless residents by ensuring effective housing and homeless services delivery.