News from the Continuum

Revised: January 2019

By Sarah Owens and Michael Livingston

Exemplary CANDO Member, Nate Hagan, with Guitar

By now, everyone's probably heard the story of the camp on the walkway of the Center Street bridge, which sources say had been there since August or September 2017, being removed by ODOT on March 19.

Less well publicized is the story of CANDO member Nate Hagan, who took it upon himself to try and improve what he saw was a worsening situation.  In his words,

"I drive by the homeless camp on an almost daily basis. I've watched as it's progressively gotten worse day by day..."

"I went to Lowe's.  Spent $22.94 of my own money for a trash grabber and a 5 pack of 200 pound trash bags. And from 5:00pm to about 6:30pm I picked up trash. Not only because I feel for the homeless but because I believe we as a community can do better..."

"I was asked by two of the homeless people what I was doing and I told them I drive by often and couldn't let it get any worse. They were actually very nice and thanked me."

Photo Courtesy Nate Hagan

"I'll be there again soon to continue the clean up not only because I believe these people deserve better but because we as a city can do better."

"I love Salem and if doing small projects like this on my own time and dime will improve our City I'll be happy to continue."

He later wrote, in response to some comments he was getting, "Seeing so many different people with so many different problems my last concern was taking the tough love pitch in approach. It's time for the homeless of Salem to see we care enough to do something as simple as clean up the city. We all share. Not all the time but we've got start somewhere. And can't let it all fall on the shoulders of ODOT and city of Salem."

ODOT and the Salem Police reported to KGW that social workers visited the camp "more than once to access services."  

"Most of the people that were on the spiral [walkway] were assessed", according Jimmy Jones, Director of the Mid Willamette Valley Community Action Agency (MWVCAA)'s Community Resources Program, which includes The ARCHES Project.  He indicated those assessments suggest  that almost all will require placement into a permanent supportive housing program in order to be successful.

Oregon is looking at adopting a PSH model.  See  [https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/DO/sshwg/meetings/Mtg-7-03-29-2018/SSHSW%20Meeting%20March%202018%20draft%20%20FINAL.pdf] (PP presentation on PSH discussed at the March 29 meeting of Oregon's Supportive Housing Strategy Workgroup).

But for now, PSH beds in the Salem area are very limited. 

There is a program for veterans (OHA's VRAP).  Shangri-La runs a small program for a stable clientele that seldom has openings.  Then there's the Salem Housing Authority's Homeless Rental Assistance Program (HRAP), which Jimmy refers to as a "hybrid", because it has some elements of a transitional housing program. 

The walkway cleanup resulted in three campers being enrolled in HRAP.  They had previously been referred, but not enrolled, because they couldn't be located.  Police offered all campers "immediate needs" items (such as hats, gloves, jackets, etc.) from the Immediate Needs Station at the Salem Housing Authority.  Sources indicate communication/ coordination between ODOT and providers working on camp cleanups could be improved.

HRAP figured prominently in Mayor Bennett's second State of the City address.  Seventy-seven  homeless individuals have been enrolled in HRAP (meaning they have access to case management services and barrier-removal funds), and 43 have been housed.  In recognition of the program's success (which, in a recent radio interview, the Mayor attributed to the "extraordinarily talented staff at Salem Housing Authority"), SHA was awarded a $50,000 grant for peer support services from Salem Health.  Earlier in the week, the City Council approved the hiring of two additional "housing stability" case managers using funds previously allocated for the HRAP program.  It now seems very likely that the City will continue its support for the program into the foreseeable future.

Arta Potties Donated to Oregon City

Also on Wednesday, The Arta-Potties Project donated its inventory of four decorated chemical toilets to Oregon City, where they will be put to their intended use.  For reasons that are not entirely clear, and might not be susceptible to scientific explanation, Oregon City has not run into the same sort of problems that plagued the program in Salem.  

That doesn't mean the availability of after-hours public toilet facilities isn't still a problem in Salem.  The need for toilets has figured prominently in the deliberations of the Downtown Homeless Solutions Task Force (see here and here).

In national news that has significant local impact, fears that Congress would approve slashing the HUD budget thankfully did not materialize, and the FY 2018 omnibus bill increasing HUD funding by as much as 10% was signed into law on March 24.  These federal funds are vital to the continuation of HRAP and other Salem Housing Authority programs, as well as the federal projects and programs funded through the City's Urban Development Department and the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department.