Clackamas Fire Shines Light on Oregon Homeless Problem

A woman was found dead at a homeless camp after a fire was extinguished in Clackamas, Oregon near Downtown Oregon City. The camp held two people, and one person did not make it out alive, officials say that the fire highlighted the homeless crisis in Oregon.
Wednesday afternoon after the fire was out Clackamas County officials declared a six month state of emergency about homelessness and the demand for emergency shelters and beds.
There has been a spike in homelessness in Clackamas County and it is now reaching the suburbs outside the Portland area.
One result of the homeless spike is that Oregon had hired their first homeless liaison, Officer Mike Day. Day told KGW News in Portland “When I started here 10 years ago, there was a handful of people. We all kind of knew who they were. Everybody in the police department knew who they were and that they were homeless, the familiar faces have started to get increasingly less familiar over the years.” The homeless population has exponentially since 2010. Day said most of his job revolves around responding to complaints of misdemeanors, that often come from chronic homelessness, like drug use and illegal camping. He also works with social service agencies and nonprofits that point homeless towards resources and services that could potentially help their long-running issues, like their physical and mental health. Day pointed out that services like those weren’t needed in small cities until a few years ago.
Officials think that the increasing rent, utilities are a major cause of the issue, which is validated by the 2017 Point-in-Time.
In 2015, the ‘unsheltered’ population in Clackamas County was at 484, wherein 2017 the population increased to 746. The population is growing and it is straining the amount of emergency shelter and other resources in the community.
An example of the shortage of resources is the day shelter The Father’s Heart Street Ministry, the shelter provides free computer access and wifi, give haircuts, prepare food and clothing drives, and have holiday dinners. Currently, they are working with Clackamas County officials to provide an emergency overnight warming shelter. Executive director Robin Schmidt talked about the growing homeless population putting a strain on the shelter. “We serve on average 100 to 120 each day that we’re open. When I first came here a high number day was about 60.” She said that when she thinks the numbers would dwindle down for the week they don’t.
The homeless problem in the Clackamas County has been growing at a rate that is astonishing to look at, with the leading contributing factor being unable to afford rent, followed by unemployment and eviction. A number of unsheltered individuals has increased 54% since 2014, and homeless children have gone up 35%.
Another alternative that the Clackamas County has provided are Housing Assistance Programs. The Housing Rights and Resource Center (HHRC) works to protect housing rights and educate the county on housing issues. They help people who are experiencing homelessness by offering a variety of programs by Social Services, which include housing and support programs to help individuals and families who want to reside in a permanent housing situation.
Other alternatives are transitional housing which helps get individuals off the streets into stable housing. The transitional program is designed to house families with children; coordinate the provision of necessary services, and enable a family to accomplish self-sufficiency within a supportive environment.
There are also multiple shelters in the Clackamas County and the Portland area, but because of the growth in the homeless population, the shelters are struggling to provide for the needy. All these shelters are in need of volunteers for events, day-to-day, or weekly to provide a better environment for the people.
The homeless population will only grow from now and there will always be a need for shelters and emergency housing, especially now during the winter season.
Day talked about the issues there are with chronically ill homeless and the police. How there is a gap between the two. He had an incident where a chronically I’ll homeless man was having a scene but police did not justify police protective custody so his hands were tied, he ended up getting the man to the Clackamas County Behavioral health, and got the man to a mental hospital. Therefore the Oregon City Homeless coalition was formed to help create more solutions in finding shelter, and the correct help for the homeless. 14% of the homeless population has serious mental illness while 12% deal with substance abuse disorder. So the solutions for that group will be different than those who want a sustainable life.
There are different solutions that are presented, jobs, alternative housing, and availability for mental hospitals, all of these solutions are in need of volunteers and workers to help minimize the homeless population and get people to the correct places they need to be.

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