Homeless for the Holidays

The ARCHES Project on Madison Street NE, 2016

 Revised: December 2018

By Sarah Owens and Michael Livingston

In 2009, the Salem Weekly published a piece by called "Homeless for the Holidays" (Salem Weekly, 31 October 2009) that set out to "paint a picture of homelessness", but found in the end that "no single brush, color or canvas" could do the subject justice.  In 2016, we updated the article after paring it down to a listicle.  Here is this year's update.

2016:  The $79M NASA Moon mission did, in fact, locate water on the moon in 2010. 
2018:  NASA's next flagship Mars mission, the Mars 2020 rover is projected to cost >$2B.  The Pentagon estimated deploying troops to the southwest border per order of President Trump would cost $72M.

2016:  Mattel's "homeless" doll, Gwen Thompson, which retailed for $95 in 2009, can still be purchased on eBay -- for $190 (she's no longer advertised as a homeless doll).
2018:  The doll is still available on eBay for between $120 and $200.

2016 eBay listing for Gwen Thompson doll

2015:  Visits to The ARCHES Project day center on Madison Street totaled 2,290 in the third quarter, down from 2,945 in the third quarter of 2009.
2018:  Visits to The ARCHES Project day center on Commercial Street NE totaled 5,385 between  opening day (July 25) and October 16.  Visits in October alone totaled 2,851 (daily average 124). 

2016:  The ARCHES Project on Madison Street had no shower or laundry facilities for clients.
2018:  The ARCHES Project moved to Commercial Street NE in June 2017, and still has no shower or laundry facilities for clients.

2016:  Shelters still "specialized."
2018:  Unchanged.

2016:  Sleeping in public was still cited, but less often.
2018:  Impossible to know for sure, but changes in the law suggest sleeping is not being cited.

2016:  Homelessness was still a merry-go-round. 
2018:  Largely unchanged, despite claims for MWVCAA's "Coordinated Entry Program."

2016:  Discriminating against those with felony convictions was still allowed, but a new "reentry" program was helping a few be more successful.
2018:  Unchanged, except that Salem Housing Authority has lowered some criminal history barriers

2016:  Thanks to the initiative of five women, there were a few public toilets open 24/7 downtown. 
2018:  The "Arta Potties" initiative folded in January 2018.  See full story, "Toilets and Panhandling", here.

2015:  The homeless student count was down to 491 from 879 (2009).  
2018:  The homeless student count rose above 1,100.

2016:  The wait lists for government housing in the rural areas around Salem were unfrozen. 
2018:  Unchanged.

2016:  There are still 1,000 housing vouchers for rural areas around Salem, and a long wait list.  
2018:  Unchanged.

2016:  The Salem Housing Authority still had about 3,600 housing vouchers, and a long wait list.
2018:  Unchanged, except the list is frozen.

2016:  Demand for emergency food boxes from Marion-Polk Food Share had been rising steadily. 
2018:  Each month, MPFS serves >9,000 families (40,000 individuals) through its partner network.

2016:  Salvation Army was still turning people away each night. 
2018:  Salvation Army eliminated its transitional housing program, greatly restricted its meal service, and raised requirements for admission to the emergency overnight shelter, such that there are often empty beds.

2016:  UGM still sheltered an average of 200 men each night.   
2018:  Unchanged.

2016:  Mid-Willamette CAA was keeping wait lists again. 
2018:  Unchanged, except they're now calling them "interest lists."

2016:  The $10.5 million set aside by Housing Opportunity Bill to build affordable homes for low-income residents, not necessarily homeless, between 2009-2011 had little, if any, effect on Salem's housing market.
2018:  The Legislature increased the document recording fee for affordable housing from $20 to $60, which is expected to raise $90M/biennium, and allocated $5M for emergency shelter, a portion of which came to MWVCAA to support area warming shelters. 

2016:  Lack of housing remains the main complaint. 
2018:  Unchanged.

2016:  The enforcement of vagrancy laws has been greatly relaxed. 
2018:  Salem tried unsuccessfully to pass a "sit-lie" ordinance, but repealed its vagrancy law (SRC 95.560).