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Dear HLC Members,
Happy New Year! I hope this finds you all well and in a place of renewed energy and hope of new beginnings.
The time doesn’t slow down for us within the HLC in the start of a new year, but only continues to get busy as we continue to implement and impact change for our communities most vulnerable. Each January service providers assist individuals in applying for Housing Choice Vouchers through our local housing authority, Housing Works. Although many barriers come along with utilizing a voucher, including finding an affordable place to live, these are a great opportunity for individuals to find permanent, stable housing. The voucher lottery is closed for the year and will reopen for 5 days in January 2021.
We also are deep in the stages of implementing the annual Point-in-Time Count for the Central Oregon region that will take place across the tri-counties, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, January 29th-31st. This is an opportunity for our region to gather as much data as we can and empower those experiencing homelessness to make their voices heard with hopes of using the data to bring more resources and funding to our region for those experiencing homelessness. For more information about the PIT Count, check out the HLC website here.
I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge and recall some of Dr. Martin Luther King's fundamental principles of civil rights and economic justice. The concept of equality for access to employment opportunities and livable wages result in a cohesive and just society. Increased income and employment are key strategies in ending poverty and achieving racial and economic justice—and are critical in preventing and ending homelessness. How we address poverty and its emerging issues impact how we relate to one another and work together to impact change. It takes a village to impact change, but what we can do right now is provide dignity and respect to our most vulnerable, just as Dr. King would do today.
Colleen Thomas
Co-Chair, Homeless Leadership Coalition |
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Reminder that the next HLC meeting will be on Friday February 7th, from 8:15-9:30am at the Redmond City Hall.
Calendar invite. Call in number (515) 606-5416, Conference Code: 440219
View past meeting minutes on the HLC website here.
The PIT count will take place January 29th-31st.
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Need information about winter warming shelters in the area? Click here.
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HLC General Membership Meeting 2020 Calendar
2/7* Redmond, 3/6, 4/3, 5/1* Prineville, 6/5, 7/10 (note change for holiday), 8/7 * La Pine, 9/11 (note change for holiday), 10/2, 11/6 * Madras, 12/4.
Please visit cohomeless.org/events/ to stay up to date on HLC events. If your organization would like to present at a general membership meeting, please email info@cohomeless.org.
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Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Applications Open
Bend-Redmond Habitat will be in an open application period for REDMOND HOUSING beginning Monday, January 13th with applications due Monday, January 27, 2020. And, for HOUSING IN BEND beginning Monday, January 27, 2020 with applications due Monday, February 10, 2020.
Applications will be available on the website and in the Bend and Redmond offices.
If you are interested, we can reach out to you via the Homeowner Inquiry Form at Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity.
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Summit Park Affordable One-Bedroom Waitlist Open!
See flyer for more information and the application here.
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Community Shower Truck
Bend – operates at the Family Kitchen, located on the corner of Wall St. and Idaho.
Wednesday from 10AM – 12:30PM
Friday from 10AM – 12:30PM
Redmond – Thursdays: operates at the Church of God, on the corner of 4th and Birch streets.
Additional Services Provided:
New or gently used socks and underwear are available for all clients as well as hygiene items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, deodorant, etc.).
Please see brochure with more information, including a list of needed donations.
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Job Announcement:
The at:project is hiring a full-time advocate for survivors of human trafficking. The job description is available here.
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Workshops & Training Opportunities:
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New Date!
Central Oregon Housing & Homelessness Workshop
The Housing for All Consortium (H4A) is hosting a full-day workshop on housing and homelessness in Central Oregon, Monday, March 16th, 8:30am-4:30pm at Redmond City Hall. Attendees will hear from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and panels of local leaders on the tools and innovations that cities and organizations in our region are using to promote housing development.
H4A will be also be kicking off a housing campaign based on the findings of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, and a small grants program to support the organizations doing housing and homelessness work.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Central Oregon Health Council, Housing for All is able to offer this workshop for free.
The final agenda is being developed. Please reach out to Colleen Sinsky at csinsky@coic.org for more information.
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Two Trainings on Human Trafficking on Tuesday, January 28th
Please note the two trainings are intended for different audiences. Details on each are provided below.
- The first training "Myths and Realities" from 12-1:30 pm is intended for community members and those interested in an overview of the topic of Human Trafficking and our local response efforts.
- The second training from 2-4:30 pm is intended for and open to professionals working in the human services, health care, child welfare, mental health, law enforcement, juvenile justice, education, legal advocacy, or allied professions.
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Tuesday, January 28th, 12-1:30 PM
Human trafficking has been in the news a lot lately, but what is it really and how does it impact our region? Join us for this important and timely awareness training in honor of Human Trafficking Awareness Month and learn more about human trafficking, local response efforts, and how you can get involved.
Learn more about human trafficking, its impacts and how you can help.
Event is free, but registration is required.
Flyer with more information here.
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Human Trafficking in Oregon through a Legal Lens - and - Breaking Barriers for Survivors of Trafficking
Tuesday, January 28th, 2-4:30 pm
This two-part training will provide: 1) an overview of human trafficking and the various legal needs of human trafficking survivors, and 2) strategies for empowering survivors to access systems through comprehensive needs assessment and case management, which supports and builds momentum in their healing process. Please see flyer for additional partner agency training details. This training is free but space is limited and registration is required by email to: mdesmond@jbarj.org
Monica Desmond
Deschutes County CSEC Response Team Coordinator
J Bar J Youth Services - at: project
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Prevent Overdoses- Learn About Narcan Resources
David Bliss, with Deschutes County Behavioral Health would like to share the following announcement:
We recently received a grant from the state to provide training (at no cost) to community agencies/organizations on how to use Narcan/Naloxone and distribution of the medicine. This will prevent death caused by opiate overdose, which has become a state of emergency.
I am hoping to coordinate a time to come by your office and meet with you to discuss a NARCAN program for your agency. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to speaking with you further about our program and answering any questions you might have. Thank you!!!
David.Bliss@Deschutes.org
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How to Be an Ally to LGBTQ+ Youth
with Jamie Bowman of The Equity Collaborative
Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 6:00-8:00pm
These days more than ever youth are realizing that they have wiggle room to be who they really are. Join us in learning the difference between sex, gender, expression, and orientation. Walk away with the knowledge to feel confident talking about these topics and how to be an accepting ally.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to be an ally to LGBTQ+ youth
- Correct terminology
- The differences between sex, gender, expression, and orientation
This talk is free and open to the public. Childcare is available for ages 3 years 9 months and above. Please visit Cascades Academy to reserve your seats.
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Free Community Education Series: Lines for Life and Youth Villages
January 21st, 7pm - 8:30pm
Join NAMI-CO as we hear from Lines for Life and Youth Villages. Lines for Life is a regional nonprofit dedicated to preventing substance abuse and suicide, offering help and hope to individuals and communities and promoting mental health for all. Their work addresses a spectrum of needs that include intervention, prevention, and advocacy. They educate and train Central Oregon high school students to assist on phone lines and to advocate to prevent issues of substance abuse, mental illness, and thoughts of suicide from reaching crisis levels. When a crisis arises or support is needed, Lines for Life is available 24/7/365 to intervene with personalized help.
Youth Villages is a national nonprofit providing effective and cost-efficient treatment options to help children with emotional and behavioral issues, their families, and youth aging out of state custody live successfully.
The meeting is preceded by our Bend Family Support Group, 5:15-6:45 PM.
Please join us in support of good mental health in our community. Our meetings are free and open to all.
View flyer with more information, or reach out to Elise Gross, NAMI-CO Communications Coordinator.
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At KIDS Center, keeping kids safe and healthy is our number one resolution this year and every year! We would love to have you, your colleagues and/or families you work with join us at an upcoming child abuse prevention training. Would you consider sharing the attached flyers with your staff and/or sending it out to parents/caregivers? Your participation in helping us equip community members with the tools and support to protect children is very appreciated.
Click for training flyers for Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook County that list all trainings in each particular county, as well as a flyer that list the upcoming Spanish language trainings offered in the tri-county area. You can also find info about our trainings on our website or feel free to link our Facebook events when sharing these trainings with your networks.
We are always happy to arrange a private training! Let us know if you are interested in any of the three prevention trainings listed on the attached flyers. We also provide KIDS Center 101 and Child Abuse 101 trainings to staff and parent groups.
Kaitlin O'Donnell - Bilingual Preventionist & Family Advocate
kodonnell@kidscenter.org
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Scholarships for Language Classes
Bend Language Institute is offering a limited number of scholarships for language classes for individuals who work with local nonprofits. For more information: CBN article or at Bend Language Institute.
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Recommended Reading Section:
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Editorial: Bend's shelter fix only temporary
Bulletin Editorial Board - Jan 16, 2020
"Thanks to efforts by a broad range of individuals and groups, at least 48 of Bend’s homeless men and women have a warm place to sleep during this winter’s chill. That’s good, but when the shelter closes in mid-March, the Homeless Leadership Coalition and others are back at Square One, with no home for a cold-weather overnight shelter.
That’s part of the message that Scott Cooper, executive director of NeighborImpact, delivered to the state Senate Housing and Development Committee Wednesday. He was testifying about how critical state funding has been to the effort to shelter the region’s homeless.
Bend’s problem was solved this year when the Deschutes County Commission and sheriff made space at the county’s parole and probation facility for a shelter. NeighborImpact agreed to run the shelter, and it and the homeless coalition managed, in just two weeks’ time, to furnish the space, write rules for the shelter and hire and train staff. They also put a nutrition program together and made arrangements for pet care so that those with animals need not be turned away.
Unfortunately, the fix is only temporary. The county needs the space the shelter is in, and it will begin work this spring to make it available for a different use. That means the homeless coalition must start the search all over again. Continue reading."
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Poverty With A View? Bend ranks in the top 12% for income inequality compared to other U.S. cities
By Laurel Brauns for The Source Weekly - January 8th, 2020
"how does [income inequality] track out in Bend? At first glance it's hard to miss the juxtaposition between the multimillion-dollar mansions on Awbrey Butte compared with the cars and tents on nearby Bureau of Land Management land. But are these just extreme examples? Are most people in the third-fastest-growing city in the U.S. living the prosperous, middle-class dream? I dug into some local data to find out." Continue reading.
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Supreme Court Upholds Ruling, Homeless People Cannot Be Criminally Punished for Sleeping Outside if No Alternatives Exist
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a petition to review Martin v. Boise on December 16, upholding the Ninth Circuit Court ruling that people experiencing homelessness cannot be criminally punished for sleeping outside on public property if there are no available alternatives. The Supreme Court’s decision makes the Ninth Circuit Court ruling binding for states in the Court’s jurisdiction: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. It also sets an influential national precedent. Continue reading.
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Then-Housing Commissioner Nick Fish (left) joins homeless advocate Leo Rhodes at the groundbreaking of Bud Clark Commons on Nov. 20, 2009. The housing and homeless resource center opened in 2011. (Photo by Ken Hawkins)
Nick Fish helped transform how Portland would tackle homelessness
[Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish passed away on January 2nd. His legacy of coalition-building, affordable housing advocacy, and dedication to homelessness will serve as an enduring inspiration to advocates in Portland and beyond. Below, Israel Bayer, former Executive Director of Street Roots reflects on the impact that Nick made. -Colleen Sinsky]
By Israel Bayer - January 10, 2020 for Street Roots.
"...In 2015, when it was clear that Portland was going to move forward with a housing bond, Nick worked tirelessly with advocates and housing commissioner Dan Saltzman to make it happen. I’ll never forget Nick trying to facilitate a public partnership with Street Roots and the Portland Business Alliance.
Street Roots had openly battled with the business group for more than a decade over the criminalization of the homeless. At times it got nasty. It was fair to say we didn’t like each other all that much. I told him such an alliance would be a disaster for Street Roots and advocates, knowing that many other organizations and allies on the left wouldn’t take kindly to such a partnership. Of course, Nick reminded me that it’s better to be called a sellout and have built thousands of affordable-housing units for people than to be popular on the left and have not built any at all.
It was just one example of how Nick’s mind worked. While many people in the room were arguing about politics or posturing for the next move, Nick was thinking six moves ahead. In the end, Nick taught us that sometimes the fight was less important than the outcome. There’s no elected official who cared more about bringing people together across different political spectrums to work toward doing good in the community. Be it our parks, the arts, or working with the immigrant and refugee community, to name a few — Nick was always there." Continue reading.
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Portland Is Finalizing A Deal To Use Tourism Dollars To Battle Homelessness.
It's a Precedent Central Oregon Should Follow.
The Source Editorial. December 4, 2019. (We're running this in the HLC newsletter again in case you missed it.)
“...In the Portland area, leaders determined that homelessness is having an impact on the economy and the experience of tourists—so they're opting to use the economic engine of tourism itself to combat the problem. In Central Oregon, local governments could similarly determine that the housing affordability problem is having an impact on the economy—and they could opt to use the economic engine of tourism to combat it.
What's more, short-term rental apps such as Airbnb have encouraged more people to rent out their homes on a short-term basis instead of renting them to long-term renters—thereby reducing the stock of affordable rooms and houses by thousands. Room taxes are collected from those short-term rentals—so it would make sense to add those room tax dollars to tangibly combat the problem of a reduced housing stock.” Continue reading.
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Free Books for Individual & Community Growth
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Thanks for reading! Next issue will be out on Tuesday, February 25th.
Did you miss last week's newsletter? Catch up on previous issues here.
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The HLC would like to share information related to housing, homelessness, marginalized individuals, and opportunities for engagement in our community. If you have an announcement to share, please email a brief (50 words) description and a URL link to Colleen Sinsky at Newsletter@COHomeless.org. The HLC reserves the right to edit or decline any submission.
Was this forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to the HLC newsletter.
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