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.