Raising a roof, and expectations, for the homeless: Steve Duin column
Posted May 01, 2021
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Homer Williams, the founder of Oregon Harbor of Hope, has long preached a simple and tenacious sermon on the homeless.
In a disaster zone, the Portland developer argues, “The first step is always providing a safe place. That’s what we’d do after an earthquake. A place where you can lock your door and get a good night’s sleep. No one gets a good night’s sleep on the streets, and over time, you’re degraded both mentally and physically.”
At LIT Workshop in Northwest Portland, Wayne Watson has built such a place.
Opinion: Homelessness crisis needs urgent public health response that focuses on reducing harm
Updated Mar 07, 2021;
Meieran is an emergency medicine physician and Multnomah County commissioner for District 1. She lives in Portland.
There is a humanitarian crisis facing us in Multnomah County. Thousands of people are living outside in unsafe and unhealthy conditions, with inadequate shelter or medical care. Only weeks ago
, a man in a makeshift shelter burned to death while trying to keep himself warm. Homeless encampments, which posed health and environmental risks prior to the COVID pandemic, have grown substantially in number, size and impact over the past year. The current situation is unacceptable from a health, safety and human decency standpoint.