About a year ago, I wrote a short commentary about my local(Albany OR) government, the city and its police, and their use of barbaric means to eliminate homeless community problems.
This story, will attempt to create dialogue, for the sole purpose of lowering homeless statistics, and their negative impact on society, as well as dialogue and critical thought, in regard to social constructs about homelessness, and that negative impact on resources.
Homeless in Oregon
The group above(Portland), complained that I was making money off of them by taking their photograph. Yeah, I have made lots... Maybe you should get yourself a camera. I have noticed a trend in interviews, as some are willing to place blame solely on society. While some, are fully aware of their actions, and the resulting consequence, which is the street. Later, another faction of angry youth, upset at my photo shooting, attempted first intimidation and then assault and robbery(my Canon XTi & EF 28-135mm IS USM). That element deserves society's scathing scrutiny.
In Albany, problems with the homeless include trash, vandalism, theft, public potty habits, and drugs and alcohol. In the quaint small town atmosphere, that behavior particularly stands out. It is dealt with harshly. In early 2012, the city and Albany Police aggressively removed the homeless from the underpass area, and posted the canal bike-path as a park only. At night the park closes. After dozens of interviews with homeless, and photos, one group was drunk and angry. At the train station, they said they were going to break my camera. I walked fast.
The strategy for the underpass area where many homeless congregate, was to lime the area where the homeless congregate. In my opinion, lime is not the answer, and is possibly a health issue.The underpass lime and patrols forced the large group east, towards Swanson Cool! Park and its adjacent outdoor playground. Numerous encounters in the past year have been met with anti-homeless laws, but little proactive solution.
Lime goes down, but the homeless stay. They just put cardboard down.
Police and HomelessOne thing you do not see as often is the police bias and the use of unnecessary force. The problems regarding that use of force reached a boiling point a few years back, with protesters and homeless winning in court, winning sleeping rights and man's own breath. The Portland Police Bureau along with the City of Portland have made a concerted effort to create better relationships with homeless and more efficient dialogue on the street.
An officer on patrol late at night, in a rough area of downtown Portland, told me candidly, "I pick my battles out here, I don't see too much of a problem with an old man sleeping on a park bench, but it is illegal. I tend to pursue menacing crime, and a lot of that is just presence." The car, he said, is a deterrent.
He went on to tell me of the area we chatted in, and the problems it faces at night. "Alcohol and heroin," he told me. And the crime of course.
In Albany, much of the approach is to "push" homeless from one area to another without any real solution. And although much money has been spent on the problem, more is needed. The City of Albany spent a good portion of money on the area along the Lyon Street entry into downtown. There is a park and concrete walk/bike path along the canal. The area is landscaped. But huge problems exist. The area is home to a vagrant bunch of disrespectful, drunk, and criminal homeless. They sleep under the bridge and increasing reports of crime and menacing are not encouraging.
In my opinion, two things should happen. One is the city's management of the area, and the trash and crime, should be remedied. Secondly, a community committee would be beneficial in regard to police patrols, community clean-up, and homeless advocates- all coming together with local government to solve the problem.
It is also my opinion that the area needs a porto-potty, a trash receptacle, and an attractive fence along the path. That would separate the Swanson Park and Cool! Pool from the dangers of many of the homeless who act with such disrespect. In essence, "Protect Our Kids!"
These measures, along with better mental health care and better resources, would alleviate stress on local families as well as an overworked and overzealous Albany Police Department. Portland can address these issues, so should Albany. Social awareness and education are crucial to police/homeless relations, and discretion is key. Efficient use of resources(funds) would lessen the impact of "problem" homeless individuals, and would improve the governments credibility in regards to capability.
Volunteerism and Community Resources
The fella above(left), showed up on 4th Street, with a carload of food. Fresh burritos and dessert. He then unloaded an older big-screen television, hooked it up to a DVD player, plugged in a speaker, and before you could blink, it was movie night. Every Wednesday, like clockwork, dinner and a movie is played out on 4th Street, between City Hall and the Justice Center.
This story gets repeated all over the city, as many folks lend a kind hand in the way of food and simple things most take for granted. Like a movie. Like dinner.
The resources in Portland are well known, a fact not lost on many that I interviewed. Food is readily available, from folks who just plain give(like the Movie Night guy), and from the many community centers like Blanchet House and Sisters On The Road.
Volunteer non-profits such as Showers To The People can, and do, make a difference on the street. The benefits to a group like Showers, is enormous, in regards to life in Portland. The most obvious benefit, is in the way of cleanliness, and the spread of disease. But it also makes life more "visible", more normal, if you will. The effects of this are less scrutiny on the homeless, and more opportunity, in the way of jobs and housing.
What you do see out there on the street, more visible than the rain and colder than the Oregon winter, are the mental health problems. It is saddening...The man on the right, bi-polar as can be, went from singing Beatle's lyrics(perfectly), to seconds later and a raging, ten-minute, undeniable rant. Sadness indeed. Medication would help. The man with the home-made instrument, did not react to being asked to leave. He just did it.
In my opinion, the task to provide help to the street, does not seem that far fetched. Better mental health services, and a more aggressive government focus on social reform, and a demand upon the rich, to do their part(less entitlements), could help solve the problems that America faces. Instead, our politicians spend months debating Benghazi and discussing lower taxes for the rich.
In an encouraging interview with Dana Haynes, the Mayor's Media Relations spokesman, Haynes spoke of the Portland Mayor's Office commitment to humane solutions and practices. He mentioned that the city did not appeal the ruling about camping and police excessive force, rather the city has a pro-active goal in regards to these issues. Haynes spoke of The Albina Care group, and their inclusion as "amicus status" in regard to a homeless representative, and that all parties were trying hard to reach solutions. "We want the best for Portland," he said.
On The Street
At a coffeeshop, I asked a Trimet Safety Officer if he saw deadly violence every day at work. "Sometimes." I asked if homeless were ever involved, as a suspect or a victim. He told me that generally the answer is "No, but inevitably at times yes." He added that petty crime is a homeless issue, but not an epidemic.
He also stated it is a "high alert job," and that most of the stress is about violence. "Helping old people is the best part of the job," he told me. I asked...
One fella I talked to, had rode his bike to Portland in December, from up in Bellingham Washington. This 57 year old, tall and lanky, with a tough mind and strong will, told me he went broke in Juneau Alaska. He came here for work and obviously winter conditions are better in Portland. He spoke of the ways to survive:
"You find good people and buddy up. They watch your back, ya know. Like when you go to pee at night. And when the thieves come in the wee hours, 4 and 5 A.M., that's when it counts. Numbers are protection. So they don't steal your stuff from underneath ya. They don't care, they got their own agenda. They use bolt cutters and Freon to steal the bikes. They rob your bags. They got no education and no ambition. A man can eat out here, good food if he's sober and respectful. Places to eat all over all day. I know where to get coffee in the mornin'. I know where to eat in the evenin'. I don't sleep in shelters. Too dirty and too much sickness. I'm safer out here."
I would ask my reader to digest all of that. If you cannot see, and feel, the dangers of the streets of Portland, check your pulse.
There has been some chatter as to the "friendliness" of Portland, to the homeless. The result of that, people argue, is more crime and more sleeping bags on the sidewalks. Those are possible, but in the pro-active agenda of Portland, the argument against current resources as a negative are unfounded arguments. Fallacies. The fact is, innovative approaches to deconstructing social constructs about homeless, will only help to solve homeless problems. Any kind of critical thought will help society solve its problems as well.
The black man(below) is 99. The old and gray white man is Hayseed. I spent a handful of nights with these men, and the humble, peaceful, and engaging conversation was simply chat that I will never forget. The men lent me their stories and gave me coffee. The warmth from both was entirely similar.
Sleeping bags covered with tarps, are people, sleeping under dry awnings, until daybreak. The cycle of free daytime meals and nighttime concrete beds, never ceases. The man in the photo below, locked his bike up there at Union Station, then he sat down next to me.
"That is a nice camera," he said. "It does okay," I followed up. He told me about his days as a frame-maker, and how it gave him an appreciation for good photos. He told me he was headed to the coast. "The beach baby!", he smiled.He told me how he lives off his Social Security, and that sometimes he sleeps on the street, but "...mostly weekly rate motels."
He told me he had spent a few nights in jail. This part seemed odd, as he did not seem harmful or illegal in any way.
He told me he had gotten a ticket for sleeping on a park bench. Missing court did not help, as not paying the fine led to more fines and warrant fees. The monetary amount is now insurmountable, and is a testament to the oppression imposed by these sorts of arbitrary rules and enforcement.
There is more here than just the arbitrary oppression of the poor, and it is the social constructs that form our stereotyped assessments of these people. The generalizations could not be further off and wrong.
Indeed a certain criminal element inhabits the streets. And that is a problem in any society. The issues that cloud the people who sleep on sidewalks are more than just the criminals who take to the street as an only resort. Alcoholism and mental health are the most visible, and loads of bad-luck stories are on every block. These are easier to treat than the full blown criminals with nothing to lose and a lot to gain, no matter how temporary that gain.
The long-timers, the ones who have lived peacefully outside for eternities, also have little to lose. The difference, is that they have little to gain. The idea of this story is to create more social awareness in regards to managing the homeless, and to alleviate some of the pressures the situation brings to everybody.
Yes, there are some, even many, who are not deserving of humanity's empathy and charity. But the fact is this, many out there are abused by power, and most die out there without ever seeing a helping hand that changes life.
In Albany, the homeless story is similar, with folks needing shelter and winter clothing, medical attention, and food. But a stark difference exists, and that lies in our government. In the coming weeks much will be printed in the press, and it will be about how the city essentially spends money. Where in Albany is there a public bathroom? Or even a porto potty where many of Albany's homeless sleep, under the 9th Avenue/Pacific Overpass. But we have a beautiful Carriage House($9 million) down along the riverfront. Too bad it is empty.
At the Signs Of Victory Mission & Transitional Housing, daily church services and public meals are a constant influence in the community. The house on 7th Avenue & Lyons and its church on Marion Street are open to anyone and everybody. Donations needed include bedbug treatment and mattresses.
The Albany Helping Hands Shelter provides housing for up to 100 homeless, while providing meals and showers to the public. The shelter has a used goods store and a wood lot that employs dozens of homeless and volunteers. The shelter provides nightly warming comfort and food. Donations needed are a new washer/dryer set-up, women's clothes, laundry soap, food, and hygiene supplies.
Between meetings with the City of Albany(where I live) and meetings in Portland, interviews with police and homeless, and research on mental health on the street, one thing is clear:
Everybody needs to be on board, with the commitment to solve these issues in the best interest of everyone involved.
In the meantime, I think it is relevant to ask whether or not, society owes the homeless. And if yes, what is owed?
Albany's Soup Kitchen
At the 3-days-a-week Soup Kitchen, poor and old alike, along with the city's homeless, come at 5 P.M. to get dinner. The tri-nightly dinner has been run there at St. Mary's Church(Albany) for 31 years, and on volunteers and donations.
On the night I was there, it was full. "End of the month," 15 year volunteer Bill Root told me, "No money." The end of the month shows that people have no money for food. No food stamps neither, he said.
The Soup Kitchen staff has volunteers who have been there 15-30 years, and has recovering addicts, who are clean and sober, and re-entering society. One recovering volunteer said, "This gives me something to do that helps people, and gets me ready for a real job."
Many of the older folks that eat at the St. Mary's Kitchen for this dinner-time feed, are here for the food and the social aspect. One couple, in their 80's, walk the few blocks to the Soup Kitchen, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night. They both smiled when I asked why they started coming to the dinner. They did not hear me, and I just returned the smile.
The Soup Kitchen staff, 30 years of big hearts and big smiles. Pat runs the kitchen and mixes bread mix here.
What is the city doing when the homeless are not eating at community kitchens? Is this why trash problems in that neighborhood, between St. Mary's and Helping Hand Homeless Shelter, are horrible at times?
As the first week of March came to end, the area along the canal, under the overpass(9th Ave) where many homeless congregate, the path was clean. And empty. But by the 11th, the place was full of trash and beer cans.
The area towards the Swanson Park, however, is not clean. Ever. This area, where many sleep under that bridge, needs regular cleaning, a garbage can, and possible a porto-potty. Write your city council, and ask for at least discussion on solutions.
Retrospect
The idea behind an article like this is to not only create better awareness, but the core idea is to discuss possible solutions to the problems of homeless and more importantly, solve society's biggest problems. It is impressive to see things like jobs and showers, available to people on the streets of Portland, and that sort of empathetic approach to treating the homeless issue within society, is crucial to its solution.
In both Albany and Portland, as well as any area with these problems, potential for solutions do exist. Community togetherness, in the form of watchful eyes and volunteer hands, can alleviate some of the impact of homelessness. Better and more efficient government can also pick up the solution pace. And police departments can have better judgement when it comes to "which" homeless to restrain from negatively impacting society.
The responsibility for solving the homeless problems in America depend on the good will of its citizens, its leaders, and the homeless themselves.
Donate
To donate supplies or funds:
Albany Helping Hands Shelter: 541 926 4036
www.albanyhh.org
boone@albanyhh.org
Signs Of Victory: 541 967 8545
Portland Gospel Mission: Donate
503 274 4483
3 NW 3rd (downtown) Portland Oregon
info@ugmportland.org
Showers To The People: http://showertothepeople.org/
Blanchet House: 310 NW Glisan Portland Oregon
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