The Rev. Chuck Currie

Reaction To New Report Showing Dramatic Increase In Oregon Homeless Population

The state of Oregon today released new numbers that show a dramatic increase in homelessness across the state.  “The number of people in Oregon identified as homeless increased 37 percent from the same time last year, according to the statewide One-Night Homeless Count,” reports Oregon Housing and Community Services, the state agency that coordinates homeless programs. 
 
This disaster was preventable had the federal government during the last eight years done more to build affordable housing and to support programs that prevent homelessness.  Instead, the Bush Administration pursued economic policies that benefited the wealthy at the expense of those Jesus would have called the “least of these” and the predictable result is increased poverty and homelessness.  Rather than challenge these policies Governor Kulongoski did little during his first term to address homelessness and in his second term created a Bush-driven policy council which has written a ten year plan to end homelessness.
 
But the plan will fail.  It offers no real solutions - only baby steps that will help a few but leave many behind.  Homelessness will only end when poverty is eradicated.  The solution to ending homelessness will also require universal health care and universal mental health treatment.  The governor’s ten-year plan to end homelessness will be soon forgotten and unless our elected officials show true courage to fight the systemic causes of poverty and homelessness there will be more people living on the streets and in shelters a decade from now than there are today.  That solution will require tax reform and a national strategy to end poverty on both a state and national level.  What is required now are bold leaders and bold solutions.
 
To have so many people homeless in Oregon is nothing more than a sin.

Statement On The Mayor's Proposed Budget and Homelessness

Today the mayor of Portland released his proposed budget. Absent from his proposal were the cuts to homeless program under consideration. Area religious leaders had written the Council demanding the protection of these programs. Over 700 individuals later wrote the council - – in a campaign launched by Street Roots – with the same message. Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish said today that:

“With the proposed allocation of new General Fund dollars, augmented by federal stimulus funds, we can fully fund our safety net and add more capacity to our housing and homeless delivery system. This funding will support a continuum of housing strategies, from permanent supportive housing for people with disabilities who have been living on our streets, to educational programs that prepare families to become homeowners, to stepped-up enforcement of housing health and safety codes in blighted neighborhoods. It will pay for foreclosure prevention, school stabilization, and public safety.”

Commissioner Fish is to be commended for his leadership on these issues. I know that I speak for all the religious leaders who initially wrote the Council about protecting these programs when I urge them now to vote for a budget that includes the mayor’s recommendations in this area.

I remain concerned, however, that the city of Portland is still moving forward with plans to use public funds for building a new soccer stadium and convention center hotel when programs for the poorest Portlanders remain under-funded (even under this budget) and while Portland has no coherent strategy for reducing poverty.

Portland’s Sit-Lie Ordinance Unjustifiable, Immoral

The Portland City Council is considering extending the city's controversial sit-lie ordinance.  You can read background on the controversy in this morning's edition of The Oregonian.  What follows is my letter to members of the council on the issue:

Portland City Council Members:

I want to remind the Council of the historic opposition to the sit-lie ordinance expressed by Portland’s religious leaders over many years. The sit-lie ordinance is another way of criminalizing homelessness. A decision to extend the ordinance will be seen by many as a moral failing on the part of council leaders. One day these votes will be seen in the same light as the “Jim Crow” laws history now views so harshly. In no one way do I mean to compare any of you to the segregationists of old but the sit-lie ordinance and other laws specifically directed at people who are homeless fit in the same category as those laws used here in Portland and across the nation to punish people based on the color of their skin. Now we are simply punishing people based on their economic and / or housing status. I ask you to prayerfully consider the consequences of your actions and to abandon support for these unjust laws.

Rev. Chuck Currie

Related Link: Letter To Portland City Council On Sit-Lie (June 13, 2007) 

Portland's Homeless Need Your Help To Prevent Budget Cuts

Dear friends,

Programs funded by the Portland City Council that help people who are homeless - for children, families, and single men and women - are still on the cutting block as we speak.

As you may remember, area religious leaders sent a letter to the council asking them to protect these programs. But the council - which seems to be able to find money for tax-payer funded soccer stadiums, hotels, and bridges - may still cut vital programs for those experiencing homelessness.

Holy Week is a busy time. Advocates for the homeless, however, have reached out to me again today asking for help and so I'm asking you.

Street Roots has put together a website where you can quickly and easily send an e-mail to all the members of the Portland City Council asking that they protect programs that benefit the poorest of the poor - those Jesus would have called the least of these.

Visit that site here:

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5474/t/3276/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1307

Please take a moment and do this today.

- Rev. Chuck Currie

Related Link:  Protecting The Least Of These

"Protecting The Least Of These"

The Oregonian has published an op-ed that I wrote - Protecting The Least Of These - concerning deliberations over Portland's budget.  Check it out.

Commissioner Nick Fish Promises To Work For Homeless Youth Funding

Yesterday area religious leaders sent the Portland City Council a letter expressing concern that homeless youth programs might get cut out of the FY 09 budget.  That letter received an immediate response from Commissioner Nick Fish.  The two of us spent the better part of the day trying to clarify whether or not the funding for the homeless youth system was truly in jeopardy.  It came down to an issue of terminology.  Yes, the funding is in jeopardy.  But the 100% proposed cut in the Bureau of Housing and Community Development was called for not by Commissioner Fish but by the city's mandated ranking system.  Confusing?  Yes.  But Commissioner Fish, a longtime supporter of homeless programs and affordable housing, wants religious leaders to know that he will fight for the youth funding.  A letter that he sent late last night underscores his commitment and explains the situation better.

None of the other members of the City Council responded immediately.  We need them to continue to hear from community leaders that this funding is important.  E-mail each of them and ask that they support Commissioner Fish's budget proposals that would fully fund the homeless youth system.

Mayor Adams

mayorsam@ci.portland.or.us

 

Commissioner Fritz

AmandaFritzRN@aol.com

 

Commissioner Leonard

randy@ci.portland.or.us

 

Commissioner Saltzman

dsaltzman@ci.portland.or.us

Here is the text of the letter from Commissioner Fish:

Dear Chuck,

Thank you for contacting me about funding for the Homeless Youth System in the Bureau of Housing and Community Development (BHCD) budget.

My highest priority in these challenging times is to protect the safety net programs that our youth, families, seniors, and people with disabilities depend upon. That is why BHCD's budget request for FY 2009-10 includes an add package seeking continued funding at current levels for the County's Homeless Youth System.

Here are our challenges. The City will have fewer resources than it did last year, and Council will have to make tough budget choices this Spring. BHCD's budget situation is particularly daunting, since approximately 20% of its budget for the current year (FY 2008-09) is made up of 'one-time only' discretionary funding from the City's General Fund. Economic projections prepared by the City's finance office suggest that Council will have little or no discretionary funding to allocate in the FY 2009-10 budget.

To further complicate matters, as part of this budget process, Council required the Bureau to rank all of its programs on two scales: how important the public thinks they are, and how essential they are to carrying out the Bureau's mission. These rankings are on the City's budget website. 'Pass-through' funding to the County for homeless youth system programs received a lower ranking from the Bureau than programs serving homeless adults, because, under Resolution A, the City has primary responsibility for funding the system that serves unaccompanied adults, while the County is the primary sponsor of the systems that serve families with children and youth.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, I will fight to ensure that all safety net programs remain adequately funded next year, and explore every option to identify resources.

BHCD will present its requested budget to City Council on Friday, March 13th. The Mayor will release his proposed budget for the City on or about April 28th. You and other members of the public will have an opportunity to address Council at public hearings before the full City Council on May 20-21. Please watch the City's budget website, www.portlandonline.com/omf/index.cfm?c=26061, for details.

Thank you for your commitment to homeless and at-risk youth. Your participation in the City's budget process helps to ensure that Council's decisions will be sound and well-informed.

Sincerely, Nick Fish

Again, I urge you to contact the other members of the council and impress on them how important it is for Portland to protect programs for vulnerable populations.

Please also write Commissioner Fish and thank him for his leadership on these issues.  His e-mail address is:

 

nick@ci.portland.or.us

Finally, Dr. Kathy Oliver, executive director of Outside In, asked me to share this message with those who signed the letter to the City Council:

Chuck,

Would you please extend my thanks to the leaders in the faith community who signed the letter in support of funding shelter and housing for Portland's homeless youth? 
 
I believe it had an impact.  I'm very appreciative.
Kathy
 
Kathy Oliver, PhD
Executive Director
Outside In

Outside In is a longtime provider of services to homeless youth.  Check out their website to learn more about their important work.

 

Religious Leaders Tell Portland Council To Protect Homeless Youth

March 2, 2008

Press Advisory

For additional information contact
The Rev. Chuck Currie
503-253-5457 or chuck.currie@parkroseucc.org

Religious Leaders Tell Portland Council To Protect Homeless Youth

Religious leaders from across the Portland area today issued a letter to the Portland City Council asking that the council protect programs for homeless youth that are currently being considered for elimination.

The city’s Bureau of Housing and Community Development is requesting that the City Council eliminate 100% of current City funding for both Transitional Housing and Short Term Shelter in the Homeless Youth System.

The letter was signed by representatives of 25 mainline Christian, Evangelical, Orthodox, Roman Catholic and ecumenical churches and / organizations.

“It has been said that every great economic crisis is in reality a great moral crisis. How we treat children is without question one of the most important moral issues of our time. We know from years of research that 80% of homeless youth involved with transitional housing leave the streets. Short Term Shelter is the place where homeless youth first access services and is the place – particularly during cold winter months – where their lives are literally saved,” stated the letter.

Click here to download the letter.

Note For "Friends of Urban Renewal"

¹³The Lord rises to argue his case;
   he stands to judge the peoples.
¹⁴The Lord enters into judgement
   with the elders and princes of his people:
It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
   the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
¹⁵What do you mean by crushing my people,
   by grinding the face of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts.

Isaiah 3:13-15

Related Link:  Two lawsuits stall Portland's efforts to help the homeless and create an employment district  

Oregon Veteran, Homeless, Dies In Eugene Snow

A man who froze to death in Eugene, Oregon this week was a United States veteran, according to KVAL (via KATU.com):

Thomas Lawrence Egan "was a decorated war veteran who earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon."

Word of Egan's death spread quickly throughout Lane County's community of veterans.  He was well known among veterans support circles.  He served two decades in the Army and Oregon Army National Guard, spent two years serving in Korea and earned several medals and ribbons for his service.

Bud Dickey, a Vocational Rehablitation Coordinator with Eugene's VA Clinic, says Egan's story is tragic. 

Dickey served alongside Egan for five years in the Oregon National Guard.  He calls Egan " a good person who fell on bad times."

"There were several different times when people tried to help him and for certain times, he was OK," said Dickey.  "For whatever reasons, he couldn't stay on track and chose to continue to drink."

Addiction, of course, is a disease. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports:

In addition to the complex set of factors affecting all homelessness -- extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income, and access to health care -- a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance abuse, compounded by a lack of family and social support networks.

KVAL notes in their story that Egan had been awarded:

Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters 

National Defense Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal 

Armed Forces Reserve Medal 

Army Service Ribbon

Overseas Service Ribbon 

Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon 

Oregon Faithful Service Ribbon with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster

Connecticut Recruit-badge

Letter To Portland City Council Regarding Anti-Camping Ordinance

Dear members of the Portland City Council:

The Oregon Law Center has filed suit in federal court arguing that the city of Portland's anti-camping ordinance is unconstitutional.

As you know, the ordinance has been used to cite, fine and arrest people who are experiencing homelessness in our community even when emergency shelter is not available to everyone who might seek it.

I want to take a moment to reaffirm my personal opposition to the anti-camping ordinance. The ordinance was enacted to target people based simply on their economic and housing status. Sadly, it has been used to "clean-up" Portland's image – to in affect hide the problem of homelessness – during the Rose Festival and other public times. The Oregon Law Center has no doubt made good legal arguments against this ordinance. What I hope the Portland City Council continues to wrestle with is the moral implications of the issue.

The current members of the council deserve praise for working diligently to reduce homelessness in our city. Portland has made progress during difficult times. Hundreds if not thousands of people have moved from homelessness into housing. As Mayor Potter prepares to leave office I want to especially thank him for his leadership on these issues. I'm confident that Mayor Adams, working with Commissioner Fish and others, will make more head way.

Despite our common efforts we all know that homelessness has increased, not decreased, and that over time homelessness has become a problem not faced by alcoholics and drug addicts alone but also by families and veterans. All of these people regardless of circumstance deserve our help. No one should live a third world life in a first world nation.

I have worked for over twenty years in opposition to the anti-camping ordinance because to arrest people under such circumstances violates the civil rights of people who are homeless, because the ordinance is unethical, and because I know we can do better as a community.

Sincerely, 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.

Religious Activists Rally In Salem

Hundreds of religious activists gathered today at the state capitol in Salem, Oregon to press legislators to support new efforts to increase health insurance benefits, to build affordable housing and to reign in pay-day predatory lenders.

“Interfaith Advocacy Day” was sponsored by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) and interfaith groups from across the state. It was a pleasure for me to be there with so many friends.

Click here to view EMO’s legislative priorities on their newly expanded website.

For on-going coverage and analysis of the legislative session be sure to visit the blog of Dr. Russ Dondero, professor emeritus in the department of politics and government at UCC-related Pacific University.  It was no surprise to find him today roaming the capitol rallying support for affordable housing.

Ted Wheeler Needs To Hear From You So That Homeless Kids Get The Very Best Education

Multnomah County is right now debating how best to educate homeless children. The choices are stark. Should the county continue to support with tax-payer money a private program that cannot met the educational needs of homeless students or should the county support efforts to integrate homeless kids into public school systems where they can benefit from the full range of education opportunities available.

In The News: Questions raised about educating kids out of the mainstream

Right now Multnomah County is giving over $52,000 a year to the Community Transitional School instead of supporting programs like Project Return, a program that last year worked with over 1,500 homeless students in the Portland Public Schools. Other school districts, like Parkrose, also receive no support from the county. Studies have shown that homeless kids in separate schools like the Community Transitional School fare much worse than homeless kids in public schools. The Community Transitional School does not test their students to determine academic achievement and thus this tax-payer funded program has no accountability for their work.

Background: Multnomah County Should Pull Funding From The Community Transitional School

Tell Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler that you want the county to support efforts like Project Return that integrate students into the public school system and oppose the use of tax-payer funds on programs like the Community Transitional School that are unaccountable. Chair Wheeler needs to know that you believe that homeless children deserve the very best our community has to offer.

And thank Chair Wheeler for his long-term involvement with homeless youth.

Click here to contact Chair Wheeler

Questions?  Direct them to The Rev. Chuck Currie at chuck.currie@gmail.com

Hear the The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tribute which started off the debate over how best to serve students:

A Podcast Sermon On Isaiah 5:1-7 and Luke 4:16-19: Celebrating The Life & Ministry Of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Disclaimer: Views expressed here are Chuck Currie's and unless otherwise stated do not reflect the opinion of any UCC congregation, related body or any other organization.

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

All God's Children: Inside the Dark and Violent World of Street Families is a new book written by author Rene Denfeld that explores the story of Jessica Kate Williams, a young women murdered in Portland by a group of street youth.  As I wrote at the time:

Jessica Kate Williams was 22 years old and homeless when allegedly 12 other homeless youth and young adults repeatedly stabbed her, set her on fire, and left her to die under a Portland, Oregon bridge on May 23, 2003.

Williams, who suffered from serious mental health problems, was receiving services from agencies that work with homeless youth when she was killed.

Denfeld uses the account of the Williams murder to paint a picture of homeless youth - along with the agencies that work to transform their lives - that would make Newt Gingrich proud.

In an interview published by The Portland Tribune (and in excerpts from the book) she asserts that most homeless youth are on the street by choice and that agencies like Outside In only enable their lifestyles.

And she makes a direct attack on me that is completely false and without merit.

The National Coalition for the Homeless notes that "causes of homelessness among youth fall into three inter-related categories: family problems, economic problems, and residential instability" and Outside In, Portland's best known agency working with homeless youth, reports that data from their clients reveals that:

90% of youth report some form of violence in their homes.

36% of girls report a history of childhood sexual abuse, with the first incident occurring at age seven. These youth flee to the street in hope of increased safety. Some youth find themselves abandoned by their parents. One child was left with a drug dealer for an indefinite time. Another returned home to find the parents had moved out leaving no contact information. Other youth turn to the street because of poverty, joblessness, alcohol/drug use and/or mental health conditions within their families. They feel hopeless about a positive future in their current environment.

30% of homeless youth are sexual minorities: gay, lesbian, bi, trans, or questioning. These youth and their families cannot together manage the many complexities of a developing sexual/gender identity outside of the norm. Most often youth believe they will better their lives when they go to the street.

But Denfeld tells another story:

The majority of the youths I examined actually chose to be on the street. A lot of them came from very adequate, even very loving homes. Their parents often wanted them to come back.

The facts simply do not support Denfeld's statements.

Denfeld goes on the say that during the immediate aftermath of the murder agencies working with homeless youth were "more concerned with protecting the image of homeless youth than addressing the reality of street family violence..."

Provocative statements like that are meant to sell books and not to illuminate the story.  Few can (or should) take serious that those who work with homeless youth day in and day out do not take the causes and consequences of violence seriously.  As a former staff member at Outside In, I knew kids who died on the streets and knew kids who committed terrible crimes.  But the goal shared by all who work at Outside In (and other agencies that work with homeless youth) is to both hold kids accountable for their decisions and to provide them with the skills they need to escape life on the streets.  Outside In can report after years of study that "80% of youth who go through our transitional housing program never return to the streets."  But few can escape homelessness and poverty without the assistance of caring communities that provide support and that is why churches and others across the nation work with non-profits and government to increase needed services.   

Denfeld also reports that the media and others made it appear that Williams was unloved by her family and here she blames me directly:

Articles in the media mentioned Jessica's fetal alcohol syndrome without mentioning that she was adopted, leading the reader to assume Becky was the alcoholic mother who drank while pregnant. Angry readers called the Williams house to yell at Becky, blaming her for Jessica's disability and murder.

Chuck Currie, an advocate who served on the board of the National Coalition for the Homeless, wrote an article titled "Jessica Williams Did Not Have to Die," which implied Jessica had been forced out on the streets by her family. "The only way to truly bring justice to the death of Jessica Kate Williams would be to make sure no young person be forced out onto the streets where she can be killed," Currie concluded. An opinion piece in The Oregonian claimed Jessica's murder was the result of lack of funding to youth shelters, and suggested donations.

The article Denfeld refers to is one written while I was in seminary and published on the National Coalition for the Homeless web site.  It was a theological reflection on violence perpetrated against homeless people in the United States.

At no time did I claim that Jessica Williams had been forced out on the street by her family.  In fact, the paper dealt mostly with the Biblical stance that we are all responsible for the welfare of one another and that society left Williams down - in many different and complex ways - when she came into contact with those who killed her.  I put the blame for her death where it belonged: with her killers and argued that our criminal justice system was not up to the task of breaking the cycle of violence in our society. 

Had Denfeld actually spoken with me before publishing her book I would have been more than open to discussing these issues with her.  But after reading her interview and the excerpts published today it seems clear that facts would have gotten in the way of the story she wanted to write.    

Religious Leaders To Converge On Salem

From Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon:

Interfaith Advocacy Day. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. beginning at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 700 Marion St. NE, Salem, then progressing to the state Capitol. Come and join people from many faiths to advocate for “Family and Community Stability: A Value for All Oregonians,” focusing on affordable housing, accessible healthcare and elimination of hunger. Confirmed speakers include Michael Anderson, Housing Alliance; Rabbi Michael Cahana, Congregation Beth Israel; Rep. Dave Hunt; Patti Whitney Wise, Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force; and Lisa Wenzlick, St. Luke Lutheran Church. Other invited speakers include Bruce Goldberg, MD, Oregon Department of Human Services, and Barbara Roberts, former Oregon governor. Sponsors include Sponsors include Ainsworth United Church of Christ; Albina Ministerial Alliance; the American Jewish Committee; Atkinson Memorial Church; Augustana Lutheran Church; Bilal Mosque Association; Bread for the World; Bridge City Friends Meeting, Peace & Social Concerns Committee; Care to Share; Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ; Church of Scientology, Portland; Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon; Episcopal Peace and Justice Commission; Family Bridge; First Congregational United Church of Christ, Salem; First United Methodist Church, Portland; First Unitarian Church, Hunger Action Group; Fish Emergency Services; Fremont United Methodist Church; HOPE (Helping Other People Eat) Emergency Food Pantry; Interfaith Action for Justice of Central Oregon; Interfaith Council of Greater Portland; Interfaith Disabilities Network of Oregon; Inter-Religious Action Network of Washington County; Islamic Society of Greater Portland; Jewish Family and Child Service; Jewish Federation of Greater Portland; Jubilee Oregon; Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Oregon; Northwest Portland Ministries; Oregon Center for Christian Values; Oregon Faith Roundtable Against Hunger; Oregon Farm Worker Ministry; Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Bishop’s Initiative to Eliminate Hunger; Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Portland Jobs with Justice, Faith Labor Committee; Presbytery of the Cascades, Peacemaking Unit; St. Luke Lutheran Church; St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, Peace and Justice Commission; St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church; SnowCap; Society of St. Vincent de Paul; Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Beaverton; Tualatin United Methodist (Hilltop) Church; and Valley Community Presbyterian Church, Portland. Groups from congregations and community organizations are encouraged to participate. The registration fee is $15 and includes lunch and materials. Download registration form. Call (503) 221-1054 for more information.

I’m looking forward to participating.

Portland Tribune Highlights Concerns Over Community Transitional School

This morning The Portland Tribune published an article about my concerns over how homeless children are educated in Multnomah County. I’ve argued recently in a sermon commemorating the life and ministry of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and on my blog that Multnomah County should pull their funding from the Community Transitional School and use that tax-payer money to support efforts that integrate homeless students into the public school system. Let me recap my concerns:

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.

The article today quotes the director of the Community Transitional School as saying that she is unwilling to have students in her program tested.

Since her (Cheryl Bickle) school is private it does not need to participate in standardized tests, and she doesn’t think it should have to. She says tests can’t measure everything a child learns in school, anyway — like the character-building she says her teachers instill in the small learning environment.

Because the Community Transitional School receives tax-payer money it is no run of the mill private school and tax-payers have every right to demand accountability. If, like the Papas School, the Community Transitional School is failing in their primary obligation to educate students county leaders need to know that.

Arguing that homeless students should not be held to the same standards as other children is tantamount to advocating that their lives are not as vital. I reject that.

Homeless children deserve all the same opportunities as housed kids and if the Community Transitional School is unwilling to be accountable to those kids and to the tax-payers it is not a program worthy of support.

Multnomah County Should Pull Funding From The Community Transitional School

This morning on KPOJ’s The Thom Hartmann Show I shared my concerns with listeners about the homeless crisis being faced by our nation and in particular about the problems faced by homeless students in Oregon. You can download the podcast of the interview from the KPOJ website (click on the January 16th show).

During the sermon I delivered this Sunday at our MLK tribute service I also talked about homelessness and public education. The audio of the sermon can be downloaded here.

Here is what I basically said on the air this morning and during my sermon on Sunday dealing specifically with the issue of education:

When most of us think about how to help those who are homeless we turn our attention to volunteering with shelters or soup kitchens. Yet for many of those living on our streets another issue has become critical: access to public education. Unfortunately, in Multnomah County we are not doing all that we can to address the needs of homeless students.

Almost everyone agrees that getting homeless students into public schools where they have the full range of educational opportunities as every other student is a key to their eventual success in life.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that some communities have sought to keep homeless students out of public schools and set-up separate schools to serve homeless children. Separate, however, is never equal.

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. Bi-partisan leaders in Congress, education groups, civil rights organizations, and the United Church of Christ all support making sure homeless children can access public schools and oppose separate schools.

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.

A recent study by the US Conference of Mayors – and confirmed by tallies of people who are homeless in Oregon – show that families with homeless children make up nearly half the homeless population. 13,159 homeless students attended Oregon public schools during 2005-2006.

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.

"We have learned over the years that model homeless education programs are those that keep children stable in their schools of origin, remove barriers to enrollment, attendance, and success, and afford homeless children and youth every opportunity to participate in school activities,” says Barbara Duffield, public policy director for National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.

In some cases students at the Community Transitional School have stayed there for years and they are now working to build a permanent facility. It will not be money well spent. Separate schools always fail in their primary obligation of educating students.

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.

Religious Leaders Call For Increase In Federal Minimum Wage

Today over 1,000 religious leaders from across the United States (including this blogging minister from Oregon) delivered a letter to Congress calling for an increase in the minimum wage.

Let Justice Roll reports:

Washington, DC -- Let Justice Roll, a nonpartisan coalition of ninety faith and community organizations, today sent a letter to members of Congress signed by more than 1,000 Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith leaders from across the country. Anticipating House debate on minimum wage this Wednesday, Jan. 10, faith leaders urge congressional support for The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (HR 2), which would increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25 from the $5.15 level set in 1997.

"As people of faith, we believe there is no better way to urgently address the poverty that afflicts so many low-wage working people and their families than by raising the minimum wage," said Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, National Coordinator of Let Justice Roll and co-author of "A Just Minimum Wage: Good for Workers, Business and Our Future." Sherry added, "A job should keep you out of poverty, not keep you in it. That conviction is at the very heart of the faith we proclaim."

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, said, "We seek a just community for all people. We are a decade late in even beginning to raise the minimum wage toward a living wage. We call on Congress to remember the least among us, and raise the minimum wage without any further delay."

In December, the nation broke the record for the longest period in history -- more than nine years -- without a minimum wage raise, while Congress's ninth pay raise since 1997 is scheduled to take effect in February. Today, a full-time worker earning the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour makes an unconscionable $10,712 annually. Although worker productivity and corporate profits are both way up, the buying power of today's minimum wage is lower than it was in 1950.

As the faith leaders' letter states, "The strong victory on all the minimum wage ballot initiatives is evidence that there is strong and widespread support from Americans for a prompt, clean minimum wage increase at the federal level."

Click here to see the list of religious leaders who have endorsed the letter.

Better yet:  take action and call Congress on Tuesday, January 9th and tell your member to support The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (HR 2).  Click here for all the information you need to make that call. 

"Chuck - 1, Lars - 0"

The reviews are in:

"You do such a great job not getting caught by his rhetorical traps."

"It is so good to have someone who knows the facts and has the commitment to speak up to the 'likes' of Lars."

"I am glad you held your own with him. I don't hear him make any reasonable suggestions for the problem."

"I applaud your success in letting Lars embarrass himself and not letting him rattle you."

"Real information is not his gig."

"Only once before in the past 4 years have I heard anyone have any success in focusing a "discussion" with Mr. Lars on the facts. You not only succeeded in that, but also did a wonderful job of not accepting the usual name calling and blaming of victims. Your integrity in not accepting his attempt to label the homeless as "bums" nor those helping them as "the homeless industry" was the highlight of my day!"

"Chuck - 1, Lars - 0"

If you missed my appearance yesterday on “The Lars Larson Show” to discuss Mayor Tom Potter’s new downtown homeless plan you can listen here. Click on the first segment of the 12/11 program. My interview starts about an hour into the program (right after US Senator Gordon Smith) so fast forward until you get there.

Lars embarrassed himself by repeating hateful stereotypes about people experiencing homelessness, suggested that courage is defined by your willingness to appear on his program, and seems to never be swayed by truthful information.

Remember that Lars – who complains about any public effort to assist those living in poverty – is one of Oregon’s biggest welfare recipients. He makes his big salary (one he says he is prohibited from talking about) by spreading his views for free on the publicly owned airways. Yes, the people of the U.S. subsidize his income.

Thanks to those who listened and wrote in with feedback.

Catch Me This Morning On "The Lars Larson" Show

Today I’ll be a guest at 11:40 am NOON on KXL’s “The Lars Larson” (750) show to discuss new initiatives being announced this morning by Mayor Tom Potter to address problems in the downtown core area associated with people who are homeless taking up sidewalk space, scaring off potential shoppers, and urinating in public places.

Over the course of the last year a diverse group of business owners, police, homeless advocates and social service providers have been working on solutions.

There are five key components of the plan:

1. Implement a Day Access/Resource Center with physical space for up to 150 adult women and men open during the day; adequate bathroom facilities and storage lockers, and experienced outreach/engagement/housing placement staff.

2. Provide adequate public seating and benches in “High Pedestrian Traffic Areas” to provide alternatives to sitting or lying on sidewalks.

3. Implement a public restroom plan that makes more restroom facilities available to the public in high traffic areas.

4. Enact a “High Pedestrian Traffic Area” ordinance that prohibits anyone from sitting or lying on a public sidewalk between 7 am and 9 pm in defined High Pedestrian Traffic Areas. Violators could receive a non-criminal citation in West Side Community Court, with the possibility of fines, community service and/or referral for appropriate services/treatment.

5. Create an oversight committee to implement these strategies. $750,000 is being allocated for the initiative.

Portland’s previous response to dealing with this issue has been to beef up law enforcement and the creation of new anti-homeless ordinances. Those efforts have failed for decades. Of course, we need permanent solutions that end homelessness – not just manage it – and that is why I’m thankful the Mayor is working with Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten to support efforts to address chronic homelessness through the city’s 10 Year Plan.

More, however, needs to be done to address the needs of homeless families in the entire Multnomah County area. Working now in the Parkrose neighborhood I see homeless people search for food and shelter in neighborhoods that have few resources. Downtown is not the only area in need of help.

Feel free to call into the show while I'm on to express your thoughts.  Call-in: (866) HEY-LARS

Statement on Governor Ted Kulongoski's Budget Proposal

As an advocate for those in our state living in poverty, I applaud Governor Ted Kulongoski’s budget proposal. Contained in the budget are increases in funding for affordable housing projects targeted to support homeless Oregonians, new measures to support those with mental illnesses, expansion of health care insurance programs for children, and increased funding for public education. All these proposals will promote the common good in Oregon. The Legislature should both support and build on the Governor’s budget proposal to do everything possible to decrease poverty and increase opportunity in Oregon.

Make A Difference In Portland: Support The Goose Hollow Family Shelter

The Goose Hollow Family Shelter at Portland’s First United Methodist Church is an interfaith and community effort to shelter families with children in the Metro area. Each month the program requires over 150 volunteers a night – to stay overnight, play with the kids, prepare meals, and help with clean-up. This is a program that I know well and can vouch for with certainty because before leaving for seminary I served as the shelter’s executive director. Right now the shelter is searching for volunteers and cash donations. Your gift of time and / or money can really make a difference.

Contact Annie Heart at 503-228-3195 ext. 215 for more information.

Contributions can be mailed to: Goose Hollow Family Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson Street, Portland, Oregon, 97201.

Catch Me On KPOJ’s “The Tom Hartmann Show”

If you’re up early this Friday morning you can catch my guest appearance on “The Tom Hartmann Show” on KPOJ 620 AM in Portland. I’m scheduled to be on at 7 am (Pacific time) to talk about the new report showing that Oregon schools served over 13,000 homeless kids during the last school year. The program is broadcast on the radio and via their website.

New Report: 13,000+ Homeless Kids In Oregon Schools

The new figures released today that document the growing numbers of homeless youth attending public schools in Oregon should shock all of us. We can be thankful that the Oregon Department of Education and local programs such as Portland Public School's Project Return work diligently to enroll and educate these students. But our local communities can and must do more. It is disheartening that Multnomah County, for example, does not support efforts to enroll homeless children in the public school system and instead relies on a privately operated program that does not offer the same educational opportunities as our public schools and where the students are not held to the same standards as public school students. Our overall goal should be to help lift people out of poverty and homelessness. No children should be homeless in Oregon.

Related Post:  Help Homeless Children In Portland Schools Succeed

This Sunday On 60 Minutes: 'Bumfight' Videos Inspired Joy-Killing

Help the National Coalition for the Homeless end violence against homeless people.

One of the most despicable entertainment videos on the market - Bumfights - is the subject of a 60 Minutes story this Sunday.

(CBS) He is now a repentant inmate serving 35 years, but 19-year-old Jeffrey Spurgeon looks back on the night he and friends beat a homeless man to death in Holly Hill, Fla., and says they did it "for fun" as they emulated scenes from "bum-rushing videos" like "Bumfights," a commercial video of homeless men performing degrading acts.

Spurgeon speaks to Ed Bradley about the disturbing trend of violence against the homeless this Sunday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Spurgeon says he is haunted by the voice of the victim, Michael Roberts. "The main thing...I keep thinking about 24/7 is Michael...screaming for help," he tells Bradley.

He and three other teens, including Chris Scamahorn, ran across Roberts in the woods where they were smoking pot. "Chris woke the guy up and started hitting him with a stick. So we all rushed in on him and then I hit him with the stick," Spurgeon recalls. "And the third time when we come back, that's when Chris had brought a two-by-four with a nail through it and hit the guy on top of the head with it," he tells Bradley. "Why did you do all this?" asks Bradley. "I guess for fun," responds Spurgeon.

"We were just...trying to mock a show," he says. One of the "shows" Spurgeon refers to is "Bumfights," a series of videos in which homeless men, given a few dollars or some alcohol, fight each other or are subjected to degrading acts. The videos have sold 300,000 copies. "That was [his friends'] favorite thing to do, was watch those videos and mock whatever was on it," says Spurgeon. "How is that fun?" asks Bradley. Says Spurgeon, "I don't know, just exciting, I guess."

A deeply remorseful Spurgeon has a message for teens who would find fun in assaulting the homeless. "Look at me now, though. You still have a chance. Look at me," he says.

The National Coalition for the Homeless says 182 homeless people have been killed and more than 500 attacked since 1999, victims of random violence that includes beatings, stabbings, shootings and even victims being set on fire. Brian Levin, a criminologist at California State University and an expert on hate crimes says, "Most hate offenses are not committed by hard-core hate mongers. They're often associations of young males...looking for some thrill...and a target they think is vulnerable," says Levin. He believes the trend is being fueled by the "Bumfights" videos. "Most recently there have been a series of films, horrible, horrible, brutal films that dehumanize and degrade the homeless," he tells Bradley. "It is really hard to overstate the kind of terrible influence this has on young people," says Levin.

Some of the attackers have even videotaped themselves assaulting homeless people; some actually say the words "Bumfights" on their tapes.

Ryan McPherson, who created "Bumfights" and who, with two partners, sold its rights for $1.5 million, sees the connection from his work to the criminal acts, but he fails to acknowledge any responsibility. He blames the drugs the perpetrators often are on when they commit their crimes. "I'm not hopped up on drugs. I'm a kid with a video camera, just shooting stuff," he tells Bradley.

Bumfights has been sold to teenagers at stores such as Tower Records and Borders. 

Tune in to 60 Minutes this Sunday for more.

Fire HUD's Alphonso Jackson

A brewing scandal in Washington, D.C. shows just how much the president of the United States and his administration disregard the needs of those living in poverty. The Washington Post reports:

An inspector general's report charges that top U.S. housing official Alphonso Jackson urged staff members to favor friends of President Bush when awarding Department of Housing and Urban Development contracts. But investigators so far have found no direct proof that Jackson's staff obeyed.

His chief of staff told investigators that Jackson, the HUD secretary, "personally intervened with contractors whom he did not like . . . these contractors had Democratic political affiliations," says the report, a copy of which was made available to The Washington Post….

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg has called on Jackson to resign.

"The President should not tolerate this type of activity by a member of his Cabinet," Lautenberg said in a statement yesterday. "Given the allegations made by very credible witnesses in the Inspector General's report, the Department of Justice needs to get involved."

We’ve already watched this president preside over year after year of increases in poverty. Now we know his top aide assigned to fight poverty has been trying to use what little money is available to reward Bush cronies for their support.

Jackson shouldn’t be allowed to resign.

He should be fired.

A Brick From Baloney Joe's

Not a lot of people get a brick as a gift when they're ordained into ministry.  But that is just what my friends Erik Sten and Bob Durston got me.  The brick was taken from the rubble of Baloney Joe's after it was demolished while I was in St. Louis.  Baloney Joe's was perhaps one of most famous agencies in Portland history.  For many years it was the last refuge for the "least of these" in Portland.  Over 150 men slept there each night and the shelter provided a medical clinic, jobs program and counseling.  This was the first shelter that I ever worked at (I was on the board).  But Baloney Joe's was much more than just another social service agency.  We served as the neighborhood association for the Burnside / Old Town area, engaged in community organizing and those that worked and lived there served as steadfast advocates for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in our city.  Baloney Joe's closed in the early 1990s after we tried to move the shelter into Old Town and business developers objected.  Controversy over our leadership erupted.  Those who lived in Portland will remember what we endured.  The building sat empty for many years afterwards on the east end of the Burnside Bridge.  I walked away from my four years there - a place I sometimes call the University of Baloney Joe's - with great friends who are still with me today and with the belief that no matter the odds we can still change the world - even if it is sometimes only one life at a time.   

      

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