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Blog Post 6

This TedTalk is given by Louise Mbella “Sinai” a Native of the City of Créteil in France and a proud immigrant of Los Angeles where she advocates for Homeless Rights, Human Rights, and Social Projects fostering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Empowerment.

Having experienced homelessness herself, Mbella describes the issues she saw amongst the way women treated other women who were both experiencing homelessness. Despite both individuals being oppressed by gender, Mbella highlights how the oppressed can simultaneously be oppressors. From her work on these issues, she argues that shelters and other resources should strive for not only Trauma-Informed Care but also Trauma Resiliency to target the root of the issues.

Trauma Resiliency, she explains, goes a step further than Trauma-Informed Care, in which “the victim may tap into the better part of themselves so that they can be more resilient and overcome (their trauma) in a positive way without harming themselves and without harming society to overcome whatever situation they are in.” She advocates that Trauma Resiliency can prevent the oppressed from being oppressors. Finally, Mbella leaves us with the message to listen to the voices of those who are suffering from our hearts and through action.

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Blog Post 7: Social Media and the C’s

https://www.facebook.com/groups/pdxhomeless

Collaboration- The Facebook group “Portland Homeless” is an example of collaboration because it is a group of people who post events and ways to help the houseless community in Portland. This includes shelter places, fundraising events, and free food/pantry events taking place. This group also posts about effects happening around Portland, like the removal of homeless camps in certain areas, and what members in this Facebook group can do to help.

https://www.instagram.com/human_solutions_inc/

Common Purpose- Human Solutions has a homeless service program that provides three elements critical to homeless families:emergency shelter, housing assistance, and family advocacy. They have a large number of volunteers helping them in this, as well as encouraging others to volunteer in events who all have the common purpose of raising awareness on how to help the houselessness population in Portland.

https://twitter.com/rosehaven_pdx?lang=en

Citizenship- Rosehaven is an organization we have talked about before. They are a day shelter and community center in Portland who serving women, children and gender non-conforming folks experiencing poverty, trauma and intersecting issues. They focus on providing resources for women facing houselessness in Portland. This shows citizenship because they are a community who provide a sense of belonging and hospitality for those experiencing this situation in Portland.

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Blog Post 4: Academic Perspectives

Article 1: An Intersectional Analysis of the Feminization of hHomelessness and Mother’s Housing Precarity (Bullock et al., 2020)

One article published in the Journal of Social Issues by the University of California Santa Cruz in 2020 explored the “feminization of homelessness”. The researchers argue for an interdisciplinary approach to considering solutions for homelessness among women by detailing the complex and intersecting factors that contribute to the crisis. Among these factors include “unequal and low pay, unpaid caregiving, lack of affordable housing, discrimination, a weak safety net, punitive welfare and public housing policies, and intimate partner violence (IPV)...” The paper utilizes qualitative data to further demonstrate how gender, class, race and motherhood shape pathways into homelessness, and the inadequacies of institutional responses to the issues presented.

Article 2: Gender Differences in Factors Associated with Unsheltered Status and Increased Risk of Premature Mortality Among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness (Montgomery et al., 2017)

Another article published in 2016 explored a similar topic to the former. This article researched the gender differences in houselessness associated with being unsheltered, and being at increased risk of premature mortality. In contrast to the Bullock et al., 2020 study, this study utilized quantitive data to identify differences in the characteristics of women, men and transgender individuals to in correlation to the unsheltered status and premature mortality. Results suggest that a focus on experience of trauma and trauma-informed care is essential to addressing the increased risk of premature mortality among both men and women experiencing homelessness. The results also suggested that the unsheltered status was more prevalent amongst men, and substance abuse for women, thus informing interventions by gender experience.

References

Bullock, H. E., Reppond, H. A., Truong, S. V., & Singh, M. R. (2020). An intersectional analysis of the feminization of homelessness and mothers’ housing precarity. Journal of Social Issues, 76(4), 835–858. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12406

Montgomery, A. E., Szymkowiak, D., & Culhane, D. (2017). Gender Differences in Factors Associated with Unsheltered Status and Increased Risk of Premature Mortality among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness. Women's Health Issues, 27(3), 256–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2017.03.014

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Blog Post 5: Radio

Herro, S. (2020, March 2). PPB's Homeless Liaison. Podcasts RSS. https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/754640. 

The podcast talks about what the homeless police liaison of Portland does in order to help the homeless population.  Stephanie Herro works here, where she is a liaison between the police bureau and various agencies throughout the city. She talks about learning about a large number of service agencies that Portland has that are diligently working to help the homeless population in Portland. They have a central precinct where the officers are explicitly dedicated to working with people who are experiencing homelessness. This is something positive because it allows the police bureau to develop relationships. Those officers can specifically focus on how to help each small homeless population in that specific geographical area and get to know the people who are there, experiencing homelessness. The podcast also talks about the challenges in the homelessness community, how this liaison is helping, and how they work with the Portland Police to help the homeless.

Song: Lennon, John e. 1971 Imagine. Retrieved March 22, 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkgkThdzX-8

We are all one and meant to be united no matter our religion, race, country, and politics. We are all in this together. #UnitedAsOne

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Blog Post 3: Interview with Liz Starke

The houselessness population in Portland has continued to increase over the past couple of years, and there are many different organizations and individuals who focus on helping the homelessness population in a variety of ways. One individual in particular who works in helping the homeless population is Liz Starke. Liz is a developer director at Rosehaven, the only day shelter in Portland for women, children, and marginalized genders. In our interview with Liz she talks about her role as the development director, which includes letting the community know about what Rosehaven does, how they do it, and how anyone can help.

Interview Transcript:

Q: “How is Rose Haven working toward liberation for women, children, and gender diverse folks experiencing homelessness and poverty in Portland?”

A: “Being asked those questions about, ‘What do you need individually?’ rather than, ‘Here you go take what you can get, and you are lucky if you get anything’, I think that is just a huge difference in the way we operate our services… I think that it is that dignity piece and we bring that into every single thing that we do. We are not just slopping out gruel on a plate, we want to make sure that all the meals are dignified and have nutrition...We are trying to make sure that the plate is colorful, and balanced, and make you feel good… We take the time to repackage donations, make it nice and sort through it so that we never want our guests to feel like they are getting leftovers. We want our guests to feel like this stuff is there for them and it has been curated and put together with love and intention.”

Q: “How does Rose Haven aid women in ways that traditional shelters do not?”

A: “At the core of why we do things the way we do, and why it is successful is that low barrier piece… If you are trying to get into an overnight shelter, than A) there is going to be a waiting list - they’re all full - and then there’s going to be a criteria; there’s going to be all these questions for people who are already going through a hard time, maybe they haven't slept in days because they’ve been outside just to figure out if they’re eligible. Just that process of asking for help is traumatic. I can’t tell you how many people who I have talked to that have said it took them a long time to come in for services because they were embarrassed to ask for help. I think that we recognize that and hold space for that. We know that it is not easy to come here and humble yourself and asking for help is hard. To be hit with a million questions about whether or not you belong here once you get there makes it even harder…I think that that is an essential difference from how we operate  and the way many other agencies operate. We don't have any sort of agenda that we are trying to mold our guests to fit, it is the opposite, we are holding our services for each guest and what they’re saying that they need.” 

Q: How would you describe Rose Haven’s leadership team/style? What are some commonalities between the leadership team?

A: “When you talk about helping somebody, there is automatically that hierarchy that comes with using that word… but when you are serving somebody it is entirely different. You are not expecting an outcome, you are just offering that service. That inspires the way I work and I think a lot of my co-workers work.”

Q: What do you want people to know about the organization, or the communities Rose Haven serves?

A: “The main thing that I hope that you walk away from is that in spite of the challenges that bring people to rose haven - you know we talk about a lot of hard stuff; we talk about poverty, we talk about violence, we talk about all of these horrible things that become amplified when you are living outside and in exposure. But when we talk about all this hard stuff, what I want you to remember is that this (Rose Haven) is a sanctuary.” 

“When people come here, this is a happy place. Even though we are a crisis intervention center, that is not what it feels like when you come here. It feels like a loving and supportive community, and so that is what I want you to hold on to.” 

“When it comes to the community that we serve I think that the very most important thing is that we got to break down that othering. These are our neighbors, these are not “the homeless” - people that are different from us. I know it sounds harsh but it could happen to you, it could happen to anybody. Some of our guests have master degrees, some of them were doctors, some of them were lawyers you would never know, nobody would know what they are experiencing. So I would ask you to extend that kindness to everyone you meet… you dont know what people have, or what they want, or where they’re going, or where they’ve been, so that is the one thing about Rose Haven that I feel you can take into life everywhere you go. Have that judgement free zone be your bubble. Just because someone is currently going through a hard time, that does not define them. Just because somebody currently does not have a place to stay that doesn’t make them homeless. These are our neighbors and there is a lot of myth busting to do out there.” 

“One of them you may hear a lot is called the magnet myth. It is a very common misconception that people come to Portland or fill in the blank, any large city that people come here to be homeless because it is so easy to be homeless here and there are so many services, and that is a myth. Over 88% of folks in Multnomah County who are what they define as chronically homeless… These were people who were born and raised in Portland. These were people that went to highschool here that have been priced out of their own communities.”

“I hear so often the term ‘choices’ thrown around. ‘If people made better choices, where would they be?’ But sometimes that choice is the difference between paying a medical bill for your child or your sick parent or paying your rent. And especially for women, oftentimes that choice is always going to be caring for that other person, and that is why across the globe women tend to still linger on the poverty margins. We are traditionally the caregivers globally, and that comes with a certain amount of responsibility financially as well. That is the part of the story that does not get fully told, and is really important.”

“Things happen and that is the whole thing, we live in a capitalist society so you never really know what you are going to be facing. It could be one vet bill or a child bill, or your car got rear ended. It’s just one unexpected bill that can be the difference between having your housing or not, and once you lose that it is so much harder to get back up on your feet. Having that understanding where you go and recognize that you could have made all of the “right choices and still not be in a great situation and that is happening to more and more people across the country and the globe.” 

“I think these conversations are starting to happen more and more, more and more people are starting to realize that all of the different ‘-isms’; whether it is racism, sexism, homophobia, all of that stuff ultimately creates poverty. So when we recognize that - maybe our positions in this world aren't necessarily earned and maybe other people out there worked just as hard as you and didn’t have the same opportunities - I think that once we can get past this hurdle and understand that it is ‘not us vs them’, these are our neighbors.” 

“You get so used to stepping over people and seeing them sitting in their own filth or having nothing to eat or crying and screaming out for help. And we get so used to seeing this, we walk right past it but I would just invite you to try and recognize that compassion fatigue is real and that these still are humans, and that this isn’t normal. Even though it has become normalized, it is not normal and it is not on you to stop and help every single person you see, but can make eye contact with them, you can acknowledge them, and I would just encourage you not to step over them.”

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Blog Post 2: News Articles

Supporting Argument:

The houselessness crisis in Portland has continued to increase, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Oregonian article written by Nicole Hayden talks about a 150 million budget proposed by Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury in order to help the homelessness crisis. Hayden talks about how the budget will be a great help to the homeless community, as it is unlike any budget ever proposed. If this budget is approved, Portland will most likely see a decrease in homelessness. Hayden says that this is because the budget proposed by Kafoury states that the money will be used specifically for new shelter beds, expansions on rental assistance, and delivery of wrap-around services which will help those newly housed people. Kafoury also mentioned in her proposed budget that this would also be a significant improvement to the Portland homeless community because since it will allow many to be housed, it will free up more emergency beds for others to access. Furthermore Kafoury stated, “There is no denying just how great the need is right now.”

Hayden, N. (2021, April 23). $150 million: A guide to proposed Portland homeless spending next year. oregonlive. https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2021/04/150-million-a-guide-to-proposed-portland-homeless-spending-next-year.html. 

Opposing Argument:

The article “The One Argument Conservatives Have Made Against Every New Social Program” by Jonathan Chait delves into the dispute between liberals and conservatives over government spending, specifically into welfare programs. This article was written in response to AEI director of economic policy Michael Strain, who derides Biden’s expanded child tax credit to the middle class, which is designed as an anti-poverty program. Strain argues that the regular checks by the government will disincentive people to work and that they will become dependent on the government. The second argument Strain makes is that in expanding the program to the middle-class, they will heighten their expectations of the government. In turn he argues Politicians would be more likely to lure voters through this promise, and elevate the expectation of the government. Chait shares Strain’s argument against government welfare programs as a generalization of the majority of conservatives who disagree with Biden’s expanded child care tax credit. 

Chait, J. (2021, April 9). The One Argument Conservatives Have Made Against Every New Social Program. Intelligencer. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/biden-child-tax-credit-republican-argument-spending-big-government.html. 

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Blog post 1: Homelessness and Poverty Experienced By Women in Portland Oregon

Over the past two years, homelessness in women has increased by 15%. Most of these women reported being victims of domestic violence, and 67% reported having a disability. Portland has the highest number of homelessness in Oregon which has increased over the past couple of years (Homeless Statistics, 2016).  A majority of homeless women live in East Portland's Springwater Corridor, one of the largest homeless camps in the nation (Griffith 2019). It contains over 200 tents and over 500 people. Mental illness is also a large contributor amongst the homeless population as 35-40% of them suffer from a form of mental illness (Homeless Statistics, 2016). 

Experiencing houselessness as a woman in Portland presents various challenges because they are at a higher risk of being brought into higher risk domestic violence amongst homeless women (Unique Challenges of Women Experiencing Homelessness, 2021). A lot of women become homeless after being victims of domestic violence and try to flee that situation. However, once they are homeless, they face a higher chance of being domestically assaulted by strangers. Being alone in the streets can make them vulnerable to more abuse and violence. They become easier prey, and most do not report abuse and rape to authorities (Unique Challenges of Women Experiencing Homelessness, 2021). This is also a problem amongst women due to their limited health care available. Their health deteriorates during their reproductive and menopause years, meaning they need prenatal and mammogram tests, which they cannot access. Unintended pregnancies are also higher since they lack access to contraceptives, which may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, and higher rates of unsafe abortions (Unique Challenges of Women Experiencing Homelessness, 2021). In addition, women need menstrual products, and many shelters don't often provide them, and buying these products can be around ten dollars or more. More than half of the population of women experiencing homelessness do not have a high school diploma, which contributes to having a less opportunity to acquire a stable income (Unique Challenges of Women Experiencing Homelessness, 2021), in combination with the gender wage gap (Bullock et al., 2020).

Currently, Rose Haven is the only day shelter and community center in Multnomah County supporting those who are women, children and marginalized genders. One of the greatest contributors to homelessness experienced by women in Oregon is domestic and sexual violence, unaffordable housing, wage inequity, and the lack of support for mental and physical health (citation). Rose Haven recognizes these disparities and aims to disrupt these cycles through radical hospitality, advocacy, connections to resources, and by fulfilling one’s basic needs including food, shelter, and hygiene care. Additionally, Rose Haven is committed to developing authentic relationships with the guests they serve to ensure that their services are based on the needs from voices directly from the community. 

Similar to Rose Haven, the Maybelle Center for Community serves as a space for those in Portland experiencing financial hardship, chronic illness, disability, trauma, or other barriers (Disrupting social isolation, 2021). At its core, the organization values connection as a basic human need and aims to disrupt social isolation for better mental and physical health of the Portland community. Their services are located within a safe community space that provides one-on-one support services in spiritual and emotional help, and affordable housing. 

Both the Maybelle Center for Community and Rose Haven recognizes that homelessness is a systemic issue brought on by the structures that have longed for oppressed marginalized groups. These systems, in combination with the Cycle of Socialization make it difficult to solve homlessness at its core (Komives, 2017). Boiled down, the solution to homelessness is simple: grant everyone the right to a home, however poverty and homelessness are issues ingrained within social structures. Intersecting social identities like race, ethnicity, economic status, sexual orientation, and gender identity impact the opportunities individuals are given and the oppression they face (Moradi, 2017). Organizations such as the Maybelle Center and Rose Haven provide vital support services that move these communities toward liberation from homelessness, but it takes a collective effort to solve the homeless crisis and a shift in attitudes regarding homelessness. We leave you with this statement, the right to a home does not have to be tied to wealth. 

References

Bullock, H. E., Reppond, H. A., Truong, S. V., & Singh, M. R. (2020). An intersectional analysis of the feminization of homelessness and mothers’ housing precarity. Journal of Social Issues, 76(4), 835–858. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12406 

Disrupting social isolation. (2021, February 11). https://www.maybellecenter.org/. 

Griffith, J. (2019, October 18). Why Portland's Homeless Problem Is the Worst in the Nation. The Heritage Foundation. https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/commentary/why-portlands-homeless-problem-the-worst-the-nation.

Homelessness Statistics. Resources RSS. (2016, February 12). https://www.portlandoregon.gov/toolkit/article/562207. 

  Komives, S. R., & Wagner, Wendy. (2017). Leadership for a better world : understanding the social change model of leadership development (Second edition.). Jossey-Bass.

Moradi, B. (2017). (Re)focusing intersectionality: From social identities back to systems of oppression and privilege. Handbook of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity in Counseling and Psychotherapy., 105–127. https://doi.org/10.1037/15959-005 

Unique Challenges of Women Experiencing Homelessness. Career and Recovery Resources Inc. (2021). https://www.careerandrecovery.org/unique-challenges-of-women-experiencing-homelessness/.