The Rev. Chuck Currie

Statement From The Rev. Chuck Currie On New Oregon Report Showing Increase In Homeless Students

Today State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced that Oregon’s homeless student population for the 2007-08 school year was 15,859.

That’s an “increase of 93% since 2003-04,” according to the Oregon Department of Education.

This announcement represents the collective moral failings of our elected leaders.

Last year religious leaders from across Oregon wrote Governor Ted Kulongoski, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Senator Gordon Smith asking that they take immediate action to support schools and non-profits assisting homeless families in the wake of this growing crisis. The letter stated in part:

As religious leaders, we care deeply about this issue. Our traditions teach that justice for those living in poverty is of paramount concern. Churches, temples and mosques across Oregon are involved in the fight to end homelessness.

The fact that over 15,000 children were homeless in Oregon during the last school year is a moral scandal. No child should be homeless in a nation as rich as ours. We support efforts to fully integrate homeless students into the public school system where they can receive all the benefits of a public education and oppose segregating homeless children into separate schools. Separate is never equal.

Furthermore, we call on the federal and state government to do more to address the root causes of homelessness in our society. We support economic policies that help lift people out of poverty and oppose the present policies that have led to increased poverty in our nation. The needs of homeless children and families have been largely forgotten by politicians at every level of government.

A full copy of the letter can be found here: http://chuckcurrie.blogs.com/chuck_currie/2007/09/breaking-news-r.html

Neither Senator Smith nor Senator Wyden ever responded. Governor Kulongoski’s office sent a 1- paragraph e-mail thanking the religious community for sharing their concerns. All three leaders should be ashamed that this crisis has continued to grow on their watch without substantial action.

How much longer will our state wait until we take action to end homelessness among children and families?

Statement from The Rev. Chuck Currie On Portland City Hall Homeless Protest

I want to applaud the protesters outside Portland City Hall asking for additional assistance for people who are homeless. Portland has done a lot of good over the years – taking up much of the slack left by the federal government’s retreat in this area – but despite these efforts we continue to see large numbers of people on the street. Right now we face a real crisis in our mental health system and homeless children are not receiving the attention or care they need. I am most disheartened that neither of the leading candidates for mayor has developed comprehensive plans for fighting poverty in Portland. None of the city council candidates have offered up proposals that go beyond the status quo. Only a reduction in poverty will reduce the crisis of homelessness. How we treat the “least of these” in Portland is a moral test and we are not passing.

My Challenge To Sam Adams And Sho Dozono

Dear Sam and Sho:

Races for elected office should be focused on the issues we face and not the personalities involved. I deeply appreciate the willingness you have both shown to engage in the political process and to debate the issues you care deeply about.

However, I’ve been frustrated to see that neither of your campaigns has developed comprehensive plans for addressing poverty and homelessness in Portland. As the national poverty level has grown and Oregon’s economy becomes further strained the need for comprehensive plans and commitments for substantive action in this area have never been greater.

We should be talking about ways to reduce poverty, ways to build up the economy so that everyone benefits, and about ways to provide a safety net so no one is ever forced to live in the streets or crowded shelters.

I challenge you both to develop such comprehensive plans before ballots are mailed out so that voters can assess your personal commitment to fighting poverty in Portland. If you like, I would be willing to publish your plans once written on my personal blog (www.chuckcurrie.com). The site is read by many Portlanders concerned about these issues. It will not be my intention to critique your plans (though I may do that eventually) but simply to showcase your proposals unedited and without comment.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

The Rev. Chuck Currie

Note To The Northwest Examiner

If you cannot even spell my name correctly (I’m not a spiced Indian dish) don’t bother trying to interpret my theological arguments about crime and punishment. The facts of your story are incomplete because (how do I say this gently?) you don’t seem to have the intellectual skills needed to write real news. I’d link to the article in question but you also don’t apparently have the skills needed to run a website.

Related Link:  All God’s Children: How Rene Denfeld Distorts The Truth About Homeless Youth

The Hillsboro Argus Covers Weekend Homeless Protest

As I mentioned on this site both Saturday and Sunday, I joined others in the Beaverton-area in a campout to draw attention to the issue of homelessness in suburban Oregon (this was part of the topic I preached on this past Sunday). 

The Hillsboro Argus has coverage of the event posted today on their website:

One by one they lit their candles.

Bundled in hats, scarves and bulky coats against Saturday night's damp cold, the group, members and supporters of the Interfaith Committee on Homelessness, formed a semi-circle, sheltered by the porch roof at the entrance of Cedar Hills United Church of Christ. 

Before them, a row of reporters and cameramen from local newspapers and Portland television stations completed the arc.

The press was welcome. The purpose of the gathering, as expressed by committee, was to "shine light" on a too easily overlooked condition confronting at least 2,000 Washington County homeless residents: only 110 shelter beds available for families and none for needy singles, coupled with a growing gap in local affordable housing options.

The Rev. Mary Sue Evers, leader of the Cedar Hills congregation, led the group in testimony and prayer before 11 participants moved apart to spend the rest of the night in the parking lot. "We can talk about a hand out, talk about a hand up, but at some point you have to ask, what policies, economic structures are there that keep so many people homeless," Evers said.

The Rev. Chuck Currie, of Parkrose United Church of Christ, attended to show solidarity with the suburban activists. Currie, who began working on homeless issues in 1986 as a volunteer at Baloney Joe's shelter then operating in Portland, said, "We often forget that there's a suburban component to homelessness. We always ask people to look downtown."

After extinguishing their candles, most hunkered down to spend the night sleeping in their parked cars. A tent just outside the church doors sheltered others, and Lois O'Halloran and her husband set out to sleep inside large cardboard boxes on a tarp spread under an open canopy.

One of the signs displayed at the site read, "Cardboard should not be an option for affordable housing."

Click here to read the full story.

A Podcast Sermon On Matthew 2:1-12: Being Transformed By Jesus

This morning at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ in Portland, Oregon our Scripture readings during worship included Isaiah 60:1-6 and Matthew 2:1-12.

My sermon reflected largely on the experiences I had last night while taking part in a sleep out to draw attention to the issue of homelessness.  Use the below link to download the podcast of the sermon for your iPod or personal  computer. 

Download ParkroseBeingTransformedByJesus.m4a

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As” and save to your desktop or other folder – once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes.  Just open the ITunes application and use the search function to find

"Chuck Currie"

then click on the "Subscribe" button.

Why I'm Sleeping Outside Tonight

This post has been updated

With a low temperature expected tonight near freezing I'll be sleeping in my car outside Cedar Hills United Church of Christ:

Please join out "Out in the Cold" Camp Out on Jan 5th at 7PM at Cedar Hills UCC. Most of us can "choose" to be out in the cold for a night. People dealing with homelessness are not so lucky. Experience what it's like. Spend the night out in the cold to dramatize the plight of our neighbors who are out in the cold. Call Eric for details at (503) 357-3282.

The event is being coordinated by the Interfaith Committee on Homeless of Washington County to draw attention to the growing numbers of people who are homeless in the suburbs and other areas outside the urban core of the Portland-Metro area.  The Interfaith Committee was started by members of Forest Grove United Church of Christ and has grown over nearly two years to include many different faith groups. 

I want to be there to show support for the idea that our urban and suburban neighborhoods face a common problem - a lack of affordable housing for those Jesus would have called the "least of these in society - and it will take local, state and national efforts to end homelessness in America.

Related Post: Remarks at Washington County Homeless Forum

Related Link:  National Coalition for the Homeless

Update:  Watch the coverage of this event from KGW-TV.

Update:  Watch the coverage of this event from KATU-TV.

Tri-Met's Failed Leadership

Tri-Met's Fred Hansen told The Oregonian on Saturday that Fairless Square "provides a free ride for panhandlers, drug dealers, rowdy gangs, homeless people and drunks." The remarks are offensive and off the mark. Instead of casting blame on entire groups of people for real problems Mr. Hansen and his colleagues might delve more deeply into the issue and admit it is Tri-Met's failed leadership that has created this civic crisis. Mr. Hansen feeds harmful stereotypes of homeless people to the public. He didn't talk about the two-parent family working two jobs and trying to get to the Goose Hollow Family Shelter. He didn't talk about the low-wage earners trying to get to work. No, Mr. Hansen tried to shift the blame for his agency's failure to protect the public. Tri-Met and Max are a train wreck these days. With people like Fred Hansen in charge you don't have to wonder why. We need better leaders – leaders that take responsibility instead of casting misdirected blame.

Show Dignity Village Some Love

Dignity Village, Portland's homeless camp, needs a helping hand.

Wyden, Smith AWOL As Number of Homeless Kids Climb

Portland will be hosting over 600 educators from across the nation on November 10-13 for a conference sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. Sad news will greet the teachers upon their arrival.

A report issued this fall by the state Department of Education documented that Oregon schools served over 15,000 homeless students during the 2006-2007 school year – an increase of 18% over the previous year - at the same time that the federal government cut funding to support this population group by 10%.

It was 20 years ago this month that I first joined the board of Burnside Community Council, then Portland's largest provider of services to homeless individuals. During that time it was rare to ever see families and their children on the streets. Now many communities report that homeless families and women with children make up the majority of people who are homeless. Something is very wrong with America.

Religious leaders from every corner of Oregon responded to the news that over 15,000 kids were homeless in Oregon by writing to Governor Ted Kulongoski, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Senator Gordon Smith asking that both the federal and state government do more to address the growing number of homeless students in Oregon seeking an education.

"The fact that over 15,000 children were homeless in Oregon during the last school year is a moral scandal," wrote the religious leaders. "We are writing to urge both the federal and state governments to increase funding for this vulnerable population." I was glad to add my name to the list of signers of the letter.

The Governor's office wrote back and indicated that the state's chief executive was concerned about the issue but offered no specifics about how he would help. Wyden and Smith? So far neither senator has taken the time to respond. The federal cuts to Oregon schools occurred on their watch.

The religious leaders noted in their letter the importance of public school and rejected all calls to segregate homeless students outside of the mainstream school system. We also expressed support for "economic policies that help lift people out of poverty" and wrote about our opposition to the "present policies that have led to increased poverty in our nation."

"The needs of homeless children and families have been largely forgotten by politicians at every level of government," said the nearly 30 clergy and other religious leaders from across the state. I can attest to that. My own attempts to engage even genuine homeless advocates such as Mayor Tom Potter, Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten and Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler on this issue have met with failure. Our elected leaders seem to have surrendered and raised the white flag. But ignoring the problem will not make it go away.

In the Hebrew Scriptures we read in the Book of Isaiah where God declares God's anger against the powerful as poverty and suffering increases. God asks: "What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor? (3:15 NRSV)" Homelessness is a crushing experience and that is true for children more than any other group. Poverty is caused by economic and social factors more than any other reason and so our nation has the opportunity and the responsibility to change course. People do not have to be homeless. But it will take leaders like Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith standing up and fighting to make that happen instead of sitting in the shadows silently hoping that the world gets better. Oregon's children deserve better.

Breaking News! Religious Leaders Say Oregon Faces “Moral Crisis” After New Report Shows Over 15,000 Homeless Students in Public School

“No child should be homeless in a nation as rich as ours.” – Oregon Religious Leaders

Today religious leaders from every corner of Oregon wrote to Governor Ted Kulongoski, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Senator Gordon Smith asking that both the federal and state government do more to address the growing number of homeless students in Oregon seeking an education.

A report issued this month by the state Department of Education documented that Oregon schools served over 15,000 homeless students at the same time that the federal government cut funding to support this population group by 10%.

“The fact that over 15,000 children were homeless in Oregon during the last school year is a moral scandal,” wrote the religious leaders. “We are writing to urge both the federal and state governments to increase funding for this vulnerable population.”

The religious leaders noted in their letter the importance of public school and rejected all calls to segregate homeless students outside of the mainstream school system. They also expressed support for “economic policies that help lift people out of poverty” and noted their opposition to the “present policies that have led to increased poverty in our nation.”

“The needs of homeless children and families have been largely forgotten by politicians at every level of government,” wrote the nearly 30 clergy and other religious leaders from across the state. Copies of the letter are being forwarded on to other statewide elected officials and local city and county officials as well.

“Current efforts to address the issue of ‘chronic homelessness’ in downtown city centers, although important in their own right, have had the consequence of obscuring the issues faced by children and their families,” say the signers of the letter

The Letter

September 19, 2007                           SENT BY FAX

Governor Ted Kulongoski, 160 State Capitol 900 Court Street. Salem, Oregon 97301-4047

The Honorable Ron Wyden, United States Senate, 223 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC, 20510-3703

The Honorable Gordon Smith, United States Senate, 404 Russell Building, Washington, DC 20510

Dear Governor Kulongoski, Senator Wyden and Senator Smith:

This past week the Oregon Department of Education announced that public schools in Oregon educated over 15,000 homeless children. At the same time, federal funding to support the education of homeless children in our state fell 10%. We are writing to urge both the federal and state governments to increase funding for this vulnerable population.

As religious leaders, we care deeply about this issue. Our traditions teach that justice for those living in poverty is of paramount concern. Churches, temples and mosques across Oregon are involved in the fight to end homelessness.

The fact that over 15,000 children were homeless in Oregon during the last school year is a moral scandal. No child should be homeless in a nation as rich as ours. We support efforts to fully integrate homeless students into the public school system where they can receive all the benefits of a public education and oppose segregating homeless children into separate schools. Separate is never equal.

Furthermore, we call on the federal and state government to do more to address the root causes of homelessness in our society. We support economic policies that help lift people out of poverty and oppose the present policies that have led to increased poverty in our nation. The needs of homeless children and families have been largely forgotten by politicians at every level of government. Current efforts to address the issue of "chronic homelessness" in downtown city centers, although important in their own right, have had the consequence of obscuring the issues faced by children and their families.

Ensuring that public schools have the funding they need to meet the issues faced by homeless children is a step we should all be able to agree on.

We can be contacted through Rev. Chuck Currie at 503-253-5457 or chuck.currie@parkroseucc.org .

Sincerely,

The Rev. Chuck Currie, Interim Minister, Parkrose Community United Church of Christ, Portland

The Rev. Dr. Arvin R. Luchs, Senior Minister, First United Methodist Church, Portland

The Reverend Stephen Schafroth, Deacon, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, The Dalles

The Rev. Dr. Daniel E. H. Bryant, Senior Minister, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Eugene

Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield, P'nai Or of Portland, Oregon

Mr. David Leslie, Executive Director, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

Ms. Stephanie Tama-Sweet, Executive Director, Oregon Center for Christian Values

The Rev. Karl Vercouteren, Pastor, United Church of Christ of The Dalles, Oregon

The Rev. Jeffrey D. Barton, Pastor, Lake Oswego United Church of Christ

Mr. Eric Canon, Chair, Interfaith Committee on Homelessness, Forest Grove

Denise Anderson, Director of Mission and Pastoral Services, Providence Milwaukie Hospital

The Rev. Mark Knutson, Pastor, Augustana Lutheran Church, Portland

The Rev. Peg Lofsvold, Associate Pastor, Lake Oswego United Methodist Church

The Rev. Patricia F. Berger, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Gresham

The Rev. Dr. Leland E. Hunefeld, Pastor, Tigard United Methodist Church

Pastor Matthew Eagan, Calvary Lutheran Church, Hillsboro

The Rev. Diane Dulin, Pastor, First Congregational United Church of Christ of Hillsboro

The Rev. Joan B. Stoneking, United Church of Christ minister, Hillsboro

The Rev. Don Barnhart, Pastor, Oak Grove United Methodist Church

Dr. Rex Hagans, Lay Member, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Public Policy Advocacy Committee

The Rev. Dr. Lowell Greathouse, Minister of Discipleship, First United Methodist Church, Portland

The Rev. Ryan J. Lambert, Associate Pastor, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Corvallis

The Rev. Gail McDougle, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Salem

Ms. Blair Loudat, Council Moderator, Parkrose Community United Church of Christ, Portland

Pastor Timothy and Pastor Elizabeth Winslea, Co-pastors, Lincoln Street and Sunnyside United Methodist Churches, Portland

The Rev. Susan Leo, Minister, Bridgeport United Church of Christ, Portland

The Rev Pamela Shepherd, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Ashland

Ms. Cat Willett, Office of Justice and Peace , Campaign for Human Development . Archdiocese of Portland

Titles used for identification purpose only

CC: Oregon School Superintendent Susan Castillo Oregon’s U.S. House Delegation Regional and local elected officials

Over 15,000 Homeless Kids In Oregon Schools During 06-7

A new report issued today shows that Oregon continues to experience an an increase in the number of homeless kids attending public school while our state and local governments - including Portland and Multnomah County at the urging of the Bush Administration - are concentrating most of their attention on the needs of the so-called chronic homeless.  Meanwhile, the numbers of homeless kids trying to get an education grows.  Instead of working to help school districts meet the needs of homeless students in our public schools Multnomah County funds a separate school for homeless kids that is not accountable to the tax payers and where students are not tested alongside their public school peers to chart achievement.  Over the years my calls on elected officials to better address the issue of growing homelessness in our student population have been met with delays, excuses and silence.  Last year over 15,000 homeless students attended Oregon public schools.  How high does that number have to go before our elected leaders take notice?

What follows is a press release issued today by the Oregon Department of Education:    

State’s Homeless Student Report: Homeless student population grows 18% as federal funding decreases 10%
 
SALEM – State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced today that Oregon’s homeless student population for the 2006-07 school year was 15,517.  This number represents a 18% increase in the number of homeless students receiving public school supports during the 2005-06 school year.

The results of the homeless student count are listed below:

• 15,517 of  Oregon’s 562,828 K-12 students (2.8%) were homeless for some period of time during 2006-07
• 7,178 homeless students were enrolled in grades K-5
• 3,235 homeless students were enrolled in grades 6-8
• 5,104 homeless students were enrolled in grades 9-12
• Just as in 05-06, the greatest numbers of homeless students were 12^th graders (1,516)
• 2,487 students within the total count were unaccompanied homeless minors who had been abandoned by parents, or had runaway from home or foster care placement.
• Within the total count, at the time of their enrollment, 10,737 homeless students in Oregon reported sharing housing with relatives or friends due to economic hardship or similar reason; 1,848 reported living in a homeless shelter; 2012 were reported as unsheltered or living in substandard housing; and 920 were living in motels.

“This year Oregon was hit hard when the federal funding our school districts receive to assist homeless students was cut by 10%.” Castillo said. “Unfortunately the funding formula is based on statistical projections and not real need. I urge our communities to work together to ensure our students are getting their most basic needs met before and after they enter the classroom."

The funding comes from the federal McKinney-Vento Act’s Homeless Education Program and is based on 2005 Census projections that did not capture the reality of the economic downturn occurring in the state, or the influx of new low income residents. The Act ensures that homeless children have equal access to the same education provided to other children.  Each school district is required to have a Homeless Liaison to coordinate outreach efforts and services for homeless students in their area, as well as conduct the annual counts.  Castillo credited the work of local district Liaisons for providing services to homeless students that include school enrollment, extra transportation and tutoring, and referrals for shelter, housing, health care and counseling services.

“You can’t learn if you are wondering where you are going to sleep at night. Homeless Liaisons provide students with basic, yet vital, necessities. They make sure students have school supplies, clothing, shoes, coats and referrals to the community service providers,” Castillo said.  “They also work to provide homeless students with a consistent school environment. We know that the number of times a student has to change schools has a negative impact on their academic success in school. Liaisons help students remain in the same school regardless of their living arrangements. While we can’t provide housing, we can provide education – and that’s a major factor in preventing chronic poverty and homelessness in future generations.” 

Oregon received $571,752 in federal McKinney-Vento funds in 2006-07, compared to $635,222 in 2005-06.  These amounts include a portion for administration of the program throughout the state.  Forty-two local districts were served by 21 competitive subgrant projects from this program last year.  Most districts also use federal Title I-A funds, local general funds and donations from local community members, businesses and nonprofit organizations to help provide resources for homeless students.  They find that charitable donations are needed year round, not only during the holidays.

More than 90% of Oregon’s school districts reported this year.  State officials believe the increase in the count was due to a combination of factors: an increase in the overall population of people in extreme poverty in the state, a marked increase in the cost of affordable housing and other primary costs (e.g., fuel for transportation and heat) and an increase in the number of districts reporting, although the newly reporting districts tended to have smaller enrollments.

In November, the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) will hold its 19^th national conference at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.  This is the first time in the 20 year history of the McKinney Act and NAEHCY this conference will be held in the Pacific Northwest.  NAEHCY offers training and support for Homeless Liaisons. For more information about the conference and organization, visit: www.naehcy.org.

OPB Airs Interview Concerning Attack On Oregon Homeless Man

OPB's Colan Fogarty reports this afternoon on Oregon Considered about the issues I blogged about this morning concerning the recent attack on an Oregon homeless man:

Police describe 43-year-old Andrew Gonzalez as a transient. He told investigators that on July 31st, he met 19-year-old Samuel Morton, 16-year-old Shawn Glancy, and 17-year-old Rauno Helmik. When police were called out on reports of an assault early the next morning, they found a badly beaten man in a rocky area by the Willamette River.

Gonzales was taken to OHSU with serious head and hand injuries. He underwent surgery and was released a few days later. The crime remains unexplained.

Chuck Currie: "The first thing I thought when I heard that story is that it's a familiar story. It's an increasingly familiar story across our country."

Reverend Chuck Currie is pastor at the Parkrose Community United Church of Christ in Portland. For several years, he served on the board of the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Last year, the group documented 142 violent attacks nationwide against homeless people,  including murders, rapes, and six people being set on fire. Those figures do not include homeless-on-homeless violence.

Currie says nationally, attacks on transients by non-homeless people is on the rise.

Chuck Currie: "And these crimes are more often than not done by young kids, young teen agers who are sometimes saying that they're doing it out of boredom, sometimes saying it because they see it on television and think it will be fun."

Currie cites programs like so-called "Bum Fights," videos -- which are sold in video stores -- that show fights between homeless people.

Click here to read the full transcript or to listen to the audio. 

Attack On Homeless Oregonian Symptomatic Of Spiritual Crisis

This post has been updated

The recent violent attack against a homeless Oregonian that resulted in the arrest of three Milwaukee area teens is part of a growing trend of violence perpetrated against people who are homeless. Last year the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) documented 142 violent attacks against homeless people – including 20 murders, five rapes, and six people being set on fire. “Attacks have increased 65% from last year, and over 170% since five years ago,” according to NCH. These figures do not include “homeless-on-homeless” violence.

According to the NCH report Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes and Violence Against People Experiencing Homelessness 2006:

“Even more disturbing than the violence of these attacks are the identities of the attackers and their motives. In a significant number of cases, the crimes were committed by teenagers and young adults, for no apparent reason other than boredom. This March in Orlando, FL, August Felix, age 54, was beaten to death by five teenagers. The youths, all between the ages of 13 and 16, attacked Felix and others ‘for sport,’ according to local police. Later that same month, 21-year-old Braymond Harris of Detroit was shot and killed by a 15-year-old boy. In the words of one Detroit police officer, the boy and his friends ‘just wanted to beat up a bum.’”

Much of this violence can be blamed on a culture that devalues people who are homeless. We step over homeless people every day on city streets. Voters often support efforts to cuts food and housing assistance for those living in poverty. Teen-agers buy videos like “Bum Fights” where producers pay intoxicated people to violently attack homeless people for the sport of it.

Jesus says in Matthew 25:40: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,* you did it to me.”

Attacks against people who are homeless are symptomatic of a spiritual crisis that has allowed us to make the “least of these” in America invisible and unimportant.

The National Coalition for the Homeless argues that attacks against people who are homeless ought to be considered hate crimes.

Update: OPB Radio is scheduled to run an interview with me about this issue today (Tues., Aug. 28th) between 4:30 and 5 pm.  You can listen on the radio or via their website. 

Why I Still Love Tom Potter

This is the kind of creative and thoughtful thinking our city needs:

Restrooms located on the first floor of City Hall will be open overnight as part of the Mayor’s Street Access for Everyone (SAFE) Initiative to increase downtown livability.

The new hours, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., are expected to be in place by August 2nd. Currently, City Hall restrooms are open to the public from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The additional hours will increase the City’s public restroom capacity during hours when no other public restrooms are available.

The SAFE Initiative was launched on May 24, 2006 to develop comprehensive and community-driven strategies to make Portland’s streets open and accessible for all members of the community.

The initiative includes providing day shelters for the homeless during hours when most shelters providing services are closed; increasing the number of benches; opening public restrooms and enacting a sidewalk obstruction ordinance that prohibits sitting or lying on sidewalks in the downtown and Lloyd District during business hours.

The City Council voted last month to require 24-hour access to restrooms before the sidewalk obstruction ordinance could take effect.

I was one of those who told the city 24-hour access to restrooms was needed and Mayor Potter has responded to that request. I’m not surprised. When he was the police chief he once offered to open up the Police Bureau as an emergency shelter on cold winter nights.

As I recall, the City Council also required that before the sit-lie ordinance goes in effect the city would provide additional benches for people to sleep on. 

Help The United Church of Christ End Homelessness In Portland

Notice from JOIN

JOIN: Connecting the Street to a Home is seeking to fill a position through the United Church of Christ's Partners in Service program starting in September 2007. JOIN is a Portland non-profit serving homeless people through a combination of street outreach, basic services, and permanent housing placement. The "House Coordinator" position in responsible for running all aspects of JOIN's daytime drop-in center (the "House"), which is located in the Brooklyn neighborhood and is open M-F 10 am to 3pm. The House offers basic services (showers, bathrooms, lockers, mail, phone access) and an opportunity for people living outside to get out of the weather, build community, and work on returning to permanent housing. A person placed through the Partners in Service program receives a stipend for housing, food, and basic living expenses, as well as medical coverage. The term of the placement is one year. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Marc Jolin, JOIN's director, at mjolin@joinpdx.com. To learn more about JOIN, visit www.joinpdx.com. To learn more about Partners in Service, visit http://www.ucc.org/volunteer/.

Update: Portland City Council Votes 3-2 To Postpone Enforcement Of Sit-Lie Ordinance

After a sometimes heated and protracted debate the Portland City Council voted 3-2 to delay enforcement of the sit-lie ordinance. The ordinance would have given police the authority to arrest people (mostly homeless) for sitting on sidewalks. For years the business community has pushed for such an ordinance but Portland Mayor Tom Potter, a former police chief, would only go along with the proposal if extra services were provided for those on the street (including a new day center) and if 45 extra benches were put up in the downtown core area where homeless people or others could rest without fear of being cited by the police and fined.

Enforcement of the ordinance began this week but the promised services, including the new benches, have not yet all been delivered despite some important progress being made. Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard proposed holding off on enforcement until all the services were online and after much debate (including a vigorous defense of the process that enabled the "more services for more enforcement" compromise) commissioners Sam Adams and Erik Sten joined Leonard in voting to postpone enforcement.

I appreciated that despite the council agenda running long (and none of the members getting lunch) most of them gave their full attention to the debate. My sense is that all the members of this council are committed at varying levels to fighting the root causes of homelessness in Portland and for that we can be thankful.

However, Commissioner Dan Saltzman, in voting against the delay and for immediate enforcement, suggested that advocates for the homeless were never willing to compromise on issues and were themselves obstacles to progress. As one of the only advocates to testify in favor of the delay, and as one who argued for a compromise proposal where the city simply delay enforcement until mid-August but allow police to issue warnings, I was frustrated with his comments. The commissioner seemed to be detached from the debate going on around him.  His vote and comments were a personal disappointment to me.

Letter To Portland City Council On Sit-Lie

Update:  I've made it to City Council and chambers are packed - but not to talk about homelessness.  Instead, folks are lined up to discuss a local controversy over whether or not people can use tape to save places for families and friends along the Rose Festival Parade route.  Yes, the really important stuff brings out the crowds.  Even the media is here.  The room will empty out when it comes times to discuss the sit-lie ordinance.  What's more important?  Homelessness and poverty or where you sit when the parade comes by?  The answer seems clear.

Letter To Portland City Council On Sit-Lie

Mr. Mayor and City Commissioners:

I hope to be at council today to support Commissioner Randy Leonard's proposal to delay implementation of the sit-lie ordinance.  However, if I am unable to make it on time I wanted to have my concerns on record with you.

Under the leadership of Mayor Potter there has been much progress to bring compromise and compassion to the long controversy over how best to treat people living on our streets. I appreciate very much the approach taken by the mayor and, of course, I applaud the long-time and steadfast commitment to these issues made by Commissioner Sten.

However, I cannot find the logic or – with all due respect – the moral justification for moving forward with the sit-lie ordinance, which allows our police the authority to arrest or cite people sitting on the street, until such time as other alternatives are permanently in place that provide people with opportunities to be off sidewalks.

Commissioner Leonard has brought forth a common sense plan that simply asks for a delay in the enforcement of the ordinance. Delay can sometimes seem like a step back but in this case it would help afford some of Portland's most vulnerable citizens with their basic civil rights. Delay in this instance is the best moral choice. 

After decades of moving in the wrong direction on this issue our Mayor has shown leadership that brings us in the right direction.  Commissioner Leonard's approach does not take the city off course but rather corrects an unfortunate detour.

Finally, I appreciate that all of your offices have been directly in contact with me on this issue over the last week.  I know that all the members of the council want solutions that help end homelessness in our city.

Sincerely,

Rev. Chuck Currie

Feeding Those Who Are Homeless Should Not Be A Crime

This is happening all over the country and religious leaders are right to fight it:

A group of Central Florida religious leaders wants the city to stop arresting those who feed the homeless in Lake Eola Park and other public places and wants to meet with Orlando's mayor to discuss the issue.

The goal of Concerned Clergy for Compassion is "to stop the criminalization of taking care of the homeless," said the Rev. Matt Blowers of The Harbour Church, which is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church and Brethren in Christ denominations.

"If city officials think it's an issue, it's a civil issue, not a criminal issue."

The coalition is made up of clergy and lay members representing about 20 Protestant, Jewish and Muslim congregations plus the Catholic Diocese of Orlando.

They say they were moved to action by the arrest, under a city ordinance passed last summer, of an activist for exceeding the limit on the number of homeless people who can be fed at one time.

Feeding hungry people is a crime...  Can you imagine the path we've had to walk down as a society to get to this point?

Homelessness & Oregon's Faith Community

This afternoon around a hundred people representing the interfaith community from Washington County, Oregon and beyond gathered for the Community Faith Forum on Homelessness.

I was honored to deliver one of the keynote addresses.  Use the below link to download the podcast of my remarks for your iPod or personal computer.

Download OregonHomelessInterfaith.m4a

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As” and save to your desktop or other folder – once downloaded click on the file to listen).

2007 Community Faith Forum On Homelessness

On Wednesday, April 18th the 2007 Community Faith Forum will be held in Portland at St. Vincent Hospital.  The focus will be on homelessness.  Click here for more information.   

I'm looking forward to being there.

Hate Crime and Homelessness

The National Coalition for the Homeless released their annual report “Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes And Violence Against People Experiencing Homelessess.” If the title sounds alarming it should. The report details 142 violent attacks against homeless people in 2006 – a 65% increase from last year. CNN covered the release of the report. You can read it here.

"New Homeless Legislation Introduced: More Resources, Flexibility, to Assist All Homeless Populations"

Press Release from National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness

The “Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH), HR 840, was introduced in Congress this afternoon by Representatives Julia Carson (D-7th/IN), Geoff Davis (R-4th/KY), Barbara Lee (D-9th/CA ) and Rick Renzi (R-1st/AZ). In seeking to reauthorize and strengthen the HUD McKinney-Vento Homeless assistance programs, HEARTH respects greater decision making at the local level, more closely aligns the HUD definition of homelessness with other federal agencies, expands resources for emergency shelter and supportive services, provides a framework for greater homeless prevention activity, and allows communities the flexibly to implement a range of housing solutions.

"This legislation represents a valuable opportunity to assist all people who are homeless -- individuals and families, persons with disabilities, children and youth. The HEARTH Act would give communities - rural, urban and suburban alike - some of the necessary tools to respond to the crisis of homelessness, rather than force a one size fit all solution,” said Brad Paul, NPACH Executive Director.

In recent years, the “chronic” homelessness initiative and a number of HUD McKinney-Vento reauthorization proposals have aimed to transform the federal government’s homeless programs into a supportive housing-centered approach, resulting in fewer resources for supportive services, emergency shelter, and programs that serve homeless families, children and non-“chronic” populations. Under this policy direction the homeless assistance programs have received very modest increases to account for renewals of supportive housing projects, but other housing programs, including HOME, CDBG, and Section 8, have been cut by $3.3 billion over the past two years.

The HEARTH Act provides a critical piece of a broader strategy necessary to address homelessness. HEARTH follows recent research, which indicates that homelessness is much more prevalent than previously acknowledged and that only a significant expansion of affordable housing and the provision of universal health care and livable incomes will move us toward the goal of ending homelessness. HEARTH also reflects principles for reauthorization of the HUD McKinney-Vento programs that have been endorsed by over 200 national, state, and local organizations http://npach.org/mvrecommendations.pdf .

Link: Related Action Alert

Responding To Terry Anderson

Today in The Portland Tribune there was a letter from Terry Anderson, a retired city worker, taking me to task for my concerns about the Community Transitional School. For those who have not been paying attention here are the concerns (in brief) that I have raised:

Federal law states that the use of federal dollars on separate schools is illegal and advocates for the homeless – like the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth – argue correctly that separate schools do not offer the full range of services that public schools do...

Multnomah County, however, funds such a separate school instead of working to integrate students into the public system. The Community Transitional School receives over $52,000 from Multnomah County each year. Students at this private facility are not subject to the same testing as public school students and the Multnomah County contract provides no real measurable outcomes for the program to achieve. The Portland and Parkrose school districts, both with high numbers of homeless students, operate under-funded programs without county support…

When students at separate schools are tested the results are discouraging. Results released in December from the Pappas School in Arizona, the granddaddy of all separate schools and the model for the Community Transitional School, showed that homeless kids in that program fared worse than homeless kids in public schools in both math and reading in every grade level…

Multnomah County should pull their funding from the Community Transitional School immediately and invest that money in public school programs. The public schools could use the support and we know their programs actually work. If the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners is unwilling to take this important step then I challenge them to re-write the contract and require that students at the Community Transitional School be tested along side public school students. I'm confident the test scores will be as low as those shown by the Papas School.

Anderson, who to my knowledge has followed none of the research done on this subject since she retired years ago from the staff of then-Portland City Commissioner Gretchen Kafoury, wrote that:

For those familiar with the school and Mr. Currie’s ongoing crusade against it, the only new factors in the controversy are that he has a new bully pulpit and that there’s a new sacred cow called “testing” or “empirical measurement” to be reckoned with.

A different vantage point would allow that the school offers a unique type of support and a measure of stability in young lives that are often continuously disrupted and fragmented. There is an affirmation and connection for the children at CTS that may be lacking in mainstream schooling. This kind of affirmation/confidence building is not reflected in comparative test scores.

The point is not that one approach is right but that an alternative should be available for these children and their families. Not only is county funding a good investment in young lives already at risk, but more support from the public and foundations should be available as well.

A little less self-righteous certainty and a little more compassionate awareness would serve the children better.

Ms. Anderson and her allies at CTS are afraid that my recent advocacy will result in CTS having to become accountable to the children and the tax-payers by quantifying what if any successful outcomes they can measure. The reality is that in other communities across the nation where separate schools have operated the students attending those schools fared worse in every grade and subject level compared to homeless kids in the public school system.  Ms. Anderson might consider reading the data.

Separate is never equal. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us that. Ms. Anderson ought to also consider reading Dr. King’s sermons and speeches for herself. Doing so might change her perspective.

As for compassion, I have so much compassion for these kids and their needs that I'm willing to go out on a limb even if it is unpopular with Ms. Anderson and her friends and demand that homeless kids get the very best education we can offer.

I hope others will join me.