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A post shared by Salem Police Department (@salempolicedept)

The Salem Police Department shows commitment by posting their intentions in a public forum. In the post, they state that they plan to collaborate with other organizations that provide social services for those living in poverty and without a home. The organizations and the Salem Police Department have a common purpose in finding ways to assist people affected by homelessness, and they demonstrate their citizenship by working to help others in their community with the help of others that are within that same community.

[lexabey]

#6

I read two peer reviewed articles having to do with homelessness. The first one is titled Who’s Homeless and Whose Homeless by Ingrid Sahlin. This article is a report on research taken from Swedish Parliament transcripts containing mentions of homelessness and policy. Sahlin’s aim was to find a definition of which houseless populations were considered homeless and therefore Sweden’s responsibility, and which populations the government didn’t claim as theirs. She defines homeless as a person who is without a home, living in an emergency shelter, short term lodging, an institution, or in a “sublease contract with social services” (2020). Refugees and undocumented migrants are excluded from this definition, and therefore are not considered homeless and are not under the care of the Swedish government. 

The conclusion found was that, for Swedish Parliament, “the term ‘our homeless often refers only to Swedish citizens…” (2020). Anyone who is houseless but without citizenship is seen as a possible threat to the economy, and to what is considered the “deserving poor” and homeless.

Sahlin’s research displays a clear association between homelessness and individual problems, such as mental health issues, drug abuse, and economic problems. This line of thought coincides with the research conducted by Vázquez et al. They performed a study questioning what attributes people believe to be likely causes of homelessness. 

The study was performed in Madrid, Spain. These people were separated into two groups and were asked to complete a questionnaire on if they agreed or disagreed with a series of causes of homelessness, also known as causal attributes. One group was comprised of homeless people. The other group, called the domicile group, was made up of people “who had housing, were not using services designed for the homeless, and were not at risk of becoming homeless” (2018).

The causal attributes belong in three categories: individualistic, fatalistic, and societal (2018). Individualistic attributes are things like mental or physical illness, drug use, and being lazy. An example of a fatalistic attribute would be someone saying that they just have bad luck, or that it was fate that they ended up where they were. Societal attributes are outside an individual’s control, like economic crisis or being born into poverty.

The study found that both the homeless group and the domicile group agreed on similar reasons for homelessness. The consensus was that homelessness was most likely to have been the result of individualistic causes. The study also found that most viewed homeless people as “victims of circumstance”, seeing the negative individualistic attributes in a paternalistic light (2018).

While Sahlin and Vázquez et al both set out to discuss homelessness, they approached the topic from differing angles. Sahlin’s report showed how a societal entity view the homelessness, while the study in Madrid was done with individual people’s views in mind.

 References

  Sahlin, I. (2020). Who’s Homeless and Whose Homeless? Social Inclusion, 8(3), 43–53. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v8i3.2818.

 Vázquez, J. J., Panadero, S., & Zúñiga, C. (2018). Attributions About Homelessness in Homeless and Domiciled People in Madrid, Spain: “Why Are They Homeless People?” American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 88(2), 236–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000246. 

[lexabey]

In this short episode, Dr. Marisa Zapata introduces us to her series called Understanding Homelessness. She says that there’s a difference between asking how to solve homelessness and asking how to serve the people who are affected by homelessness. Answering either question is expensive and time consuming. Because there’s no one size fits all solution, Dr. Zapata intends to speak with experts throughout her series to explore options such as affordable housing, shelters, and services needed to help individuals stay off the streets once they can get into housing.

[lexabey]

#4

Virginia Barreda and Dianne Lugo report on a drunk driver that crashed into a homeless camp and killed 4 people. The driver’s name is Enrique Rodriguez Jr., and he was charged with manslaughter and driving under the influence. During his arraignment, victims’ families asked that he not receive bail, while his mother blamed the City of Salem for allowing homeless camps to be set up near busy streets. The authors go on to talk about a memorial that was held for the victims and their loved ones left behind, as well as a few of the reactions from those loved ones.

Whitney Woodworth from the Statesmen Journal writes about a memorial that was hosted by the Arches project, which is a program that’s a part of Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action. The memorial was for all the people who have died while being homeless. This includes the victims from the aforementioned crash, as well as people who were killed by exposure to the elements, and treatable infections. In remembrance of these people, a bench has been dedicated to everyone who has died while homeless.

Both articles aim to bring awareness to tragedies that have occurred in Salem’s homeless community, they cover memorials held for the people who’ve died while experiencing homelessness, and both report specifically on the deaths of the 4 individuals who were killed when a man crashed his car into a homeless camp. A difference that stuck out to me was the language used to describe the driver that crashed into the encampment. Barreda and Lugo report with certainty that Rodriguez was drunk while he was driving that car, citing his blood alcohol level at “more than three times the legal limit” (2022). When Woodworth mentions the crash, she states that the victims were “killed by an alleged drunk driver” and doesn’t provide any details about the victims or the driver (2022).

References

Barreda, V. & Lugo, D. (2022, March 29). Prosecutor: Drive who killed 4 in Oregon homeless camp crash was drunk. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/03/29/driver-salem-homeless-camp-crash/7201670001/.

Woodworth, W. (2022, May 27). ‘Out hearts break: Remembering those who died while homeless in Salem. Statesmen Journal. https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/27/remembering-those-who-died-while-homeless-unsheltered-in-salem-oregon-our-hearts-break/65354516007/.

[lexabey]

#3

Although the people who are homeless are the ones that are affected the most by it, there are some organizations who show considerable concern for this issue. The City of Salem likely has the largest interest, especially since it’s their citizens who are at issue. Salem’s goal is to get as many people sheltered and off the street as possible. They have created measures as well as partnered with other organizations in order to help people secure food, clothing, shelter, and even safe places to park if they are living out of their vehicles (n.d).

One of the organizations is Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action. They pride themselves on being “Marion-Polk’s anti-poverty professionals and the area’s leading non-profit social services provider” (2022). They have a drop in site where a person can clean up, do laundry, use the phone, or get information about other services. Other services would include head start, emergency shelter during inclement weather, and financial assistance with utility bills, to name a few. They accept both goods and monetary donations. They have volunteer opportunities and create partnerships with local businesses as well.

Both the City of Salem and Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action have the community’s best interests in mind, and both seem passionate in creating real change in people’s lives. The main difference that I can see in these two is their focus. Salem has multiple responsibilities and priorities, which is why they need to rely on multiple organizations like Community Action to help them alleviate poverty related issues. Community Action has the freedom to just focus on poverty and homelessness without having to shuffle other issues around to the back burner.

References

Mid-Valley Community Action. (2022). About Us. https://mwvcaa.org/about-us/.

City of Salem. (n.d.). Learn About City Efforts to Address Homelessness.  City of Salem At Your Service. https://www.cityofsalem.net/government/shaping-salem-s-future/housing-shelter/learn-about-city-efforts-to-address-homelessness.

[lexabey]

#2

The Statesmen Journal held a survey regarding downtown Salem, and a lot of the comments on not wanting to go downtown stated that they didn’t feel safe due to people choosing to set up camp in front of shops and restaurants (Williams, 2022). The survey also had comments regarding the cleanliness of the areas where camps were set up. This in turn affects the businesses in these areas where homeless camps are set up. They lose business when potential customers are afraid to shop in these areas, and there’s also the extra cost of cleaning up after individuals who are not able to or don’t want to properly dispose of their waste.

The City of Salem website states that the number of homeless increases every year, and that there are roughly 1300 people who are currently experiencing homelessness (n.d.). Helping the city’s homeless population is listed as one of their priorities, but they state that they aren’t able to do it without the help of other organizations. Among the organizations that the City of Salem sites are Helping Hands, Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, and Salem Housing Authority (n.d.).

Helping Hands is an organization that provides goods to low-income individuals and families. This includes bedding, books, toys, and clothing. They also have a program that supplies job interview appropriate clothing, and clothing that a person would need to perform the duties required of them if they are hired (2020). An example of required clothing would be like steel toed boots for a construction job.

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency has a plethora of programs that they offer. To list a couple from their website, there’s Weatherization where they will assist with things like adding insulation and air sealing with the goal of lowering the cost of people’s utility bills; and then there’s the Arches Project which is an “outreach division” that helps people find stable living situations when they are already or about to become homeless (2022).

Lastly, we have Salem Housing Authority, who provide “safe and affordable rental housing assistance” to families who are affected by “low-to-moderate income” (n.d.). They help people apply and get on lists for things like Section 8, public housing, and senior housing.

Resources

City of Salem. (n.d.) Frequently Asked Questions. City of Salem At Your Service. https://www.cityofsalem.net/government/shaping-salem-s-future/housing-shelter/learn-about-city-efforts-to-address-homelessness/frequently-asked-questions-about-homelessness#:~:text=According%20to%20local%20partners%2C%20there,and%20living%20in%20their%20vehicles.

Williams, Jonathan. (2022, August 30). Downtown Salem Survey Results: Homelessness, small-town feel top of mind. Statesman Journal. https://www.statesmanjournal.com/in-depth/news/2022/08/30/downtown-salem-oregon-survey-results-crime-restaurants-bars-public-transit/65411757007/.

Helping Hands. (2020). Helping Hands Resources. https://helpinghandssalem.org/about-us/.

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action. (2022). https://mwvcaa.org/.

Salem Housing Authority. (n.d.). https://www.salemhousingor.com/.

[lexabey]

#1

Homelessness is a huge social problem in the United States, but my focus is going to narrower than that. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines homeless as “having no home or permanent place of residence” (n.d.). This includes people who are living on streets, parks, and other public domains; and includes people who have found temporary shelters to stay in, such as the Union Gospel Mission.

This blog will cover homelessness just in Salem, not all of Oregon or the United States. Therefore, I will be talking about measures that Salem has or will take to alleviate the issues facing the population. I’ll also go over the effects of homelessness, both physical and psychological. I will also go over available resources for people who are suffering from homelessness, as well as how others can help those organizations.

Although I will be talking about the City of Salem and their response to this problem, I will not be covering the political aspects of this topic. I won’t be talking about anything that local politicians have said or plan to do, and I won’t be discussing laws or policies that aren’t currently in effect. I will be presenting the ways city employees have handled issues pertaining to homelessness in the past.

This is an important problem because it affects everyone in Salem, including the people who are homeless themselves, business owners whose storefronts are near homeless camps, and other citizens who fear going into areas with homeless camps nearby.

Bibliography

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Homeless. Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homeless.