In 2006, residents of Grants Pass, Ore., were locked in a shouting match over what to do about homeless people sleeping in boats along the Rogue River, a prominent river that flows through the center of town. I was called to mediate. A power struggle has raged between homeless “boaters” and local faith-based shelters over whether religious service is mandatory to get a bed at the shelter.
As the area’s leading federal official on homelessness, I advised the county commissioners that an approach of offering housing through available federal rental subsidy programs would be a more productive strategy than shelters and shelters. camping and detention. We seemed to make some progress at first. County commissioners like the idea of a housing solution, but they are under pressure from local shelter providers to continue to claim more homeless people before they can get shelter, let alone housing. I was shocked.
It is a bitter irony for me many years later to see that community was the genesis of the first US Supreme Court decision on homelessness in 40 years.
The Supreme Court has determined that local communities have some restrictions on how they can manage public spaces with regard to homeless people camping outdoors. At first glance, this looks fine and dandy. Addressing unregulated encampments is a major challenge for communities large and small. However, according to this latest decision, measures can now be taken to eliminate the camps entirely – strong measures if necessary, including arrests.
This issue will continue to play out locally throughout King County. Will the city of Burien, for example, become another Grants Pass, stubbornly adhering to a policy that excludes the homeless from its community? There will be nothing that can stop him from doing it now after that decision. Or can we take the high road and creatively solve this encampment problem, with all local cities taking responsibility for finding short-term shelter and housing solutions?
Since 2003, the federal government has promoted a new strategy to guide communities to real solutions for homelessness. Federal policy, guided by the latest research, is trying to stop the practice of homeless people jumping through hoops before being deemed eligible for housing. The past 20 years have witnessed futile efforts that require compliance with pills, programs and protocols. This is a useless solution that only makes the situation worse. Then, as now, the threat of prison was empty.
A growing number of mayors, county commissions and local police saw the practical wisdom of the new housing approach. The results were dramatic. Homelessness in Oregon as well as in Washington, indeed, across the country, is down. This trend continued for ten years.
Stating that housing is the solution to homelessness seems too obvious. Clear, but not easy. Providing homes with mental health and addiction treatment is a complex, difficult, and intensive strategy that requires the determined efforts of skilled street outreach workers, allied with local law enforcement. We do this in the midst of a public that fears the perception of street anarchy. We’re doing this in the midst of less resources because of the loss of affordable housing, even in small communities like Grants Pass.
I can only hope that we will not lock ourselves into yet more hand-wringing over non-solutions. We know what it takes to reach the homeless. Can we gather political will and social conscience to renew our efforts to end this stain on our national honor? There is no debate about the urgent need to provide short-term shelter for those trapped in poverty, adequate mental health care addiction services and, yes, safe and decent housing.
