(Update: I called Lars about this and he invited me to be on his show at Noon Portland-time).
You may have read in The Oregonian (or heard it from the man himself) that radio ratings monster Lars Larson has filed a complaint with the city attempting to get Dignity Village closed down. I’ve known Lars since at least 1987 and appeared on his radio program plenty of times to discuss issues of homelessness. It is ironic that he’s telling the city Dignity Village isn’t up to code. He’s told me plenty of time on-air that all those city regulations are what keep people from developing low-cost housing. Now he wants those codes enforced to close down a safe location for people who are homeless. In his own words:
The front page of the metro section of the daily dead fish wrapper features a sympathetic story on the so-called "homeless". No doubt some of these people would like to have a conventional lifestyle...and would work for it. Too many others tho will tell you that they're unwilling to give up the booze, the drugs, their pet dog or their girlfriends to enter shelters. Last night, the shelters hit capacity...and that should tell you a few things. Not that there are too few shelters...but that homelessness has become an industry here in the rose city...a well funded, multi million dollar growth industry. Those employed full time in the bum business haven't exactly worked hard to fix the problem. That would mean an end to their jobs. Instead...the city has invested tens of millions of dollars...on top of all the private charity...to enable people to live on the streets. That's not a solution. It would be like giving more jack daniels to a drunk...and then making sure that he just barely keeps his job so he can stay a drunk. so...you're saying to yourself...what's the solution larson? Well...a group called JOIN gets it done. Places people who want to be off the streets in private housing...with private dollars...and insists that folks pay their own way. A second solution would be some major relief from city imposed rules...like urban growth boundaries...and outrageous system development charges that make housing so costly...and homelessness more likely.
The facts about homelessness show that the picture he paints is a false one. By the way, JOIN gets plenty of public dollars to operate.
