Hales Calls for Additional Funds to Solve Homelessness Crisis

Monday, November 23, 2015

Brendan Murray, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Mayor Charlie Hales asked directors and managers of more than 20 city bureaus and departments to find five percent of cuts in their fiscal year 2016-2017 so that general fund dollars can be diverted to solving the city’s ongoing housing and homelessness crisis in a memo sent on Friday.

“This will allow me to determine if there are budget realignments that should be made within bureaus and between bureaus to fund the priorities outlined above, as well as other City needs,” Hales wrote. “Given the State of Emergency in Housing and Homelessness and the recent addition of $10 million to the Portland Housing Bureau’s budget, I am not asking PHB for reductions. However, I do expect that PHB will submit a budget request that clearly delineates their proposed uses for the additional funding, and the metrics that will be used to track whether the additional investment is achieving its intended outcomes.”

Hales also wrote that he will ask bureau managers to find ways to align their missions and resources to helping to solve the homelessness and housing crisis. In October, Hales and the Portland City Council made homelessness a focus, declaring a state of emergency over the issue.

“I am asking bureaus that have a direct or indirect role in housing and homelessness to propose realignments that will assist us in addressing the crisis,” Hales wrote. “To the extent that we can redirect existing resources to this urgent problem, it will mitigate the need to find those resources through program reductions.”

Businesses Say It’s Time For Action

The homeless population of Chinatown has deterred potential business due to the volatile nature of specific individuals, according to business owners, who said they are tired of the abuse and fed up with the lack of help from the City Council.

“They’ve been ignoring it for five years now," Kurt Huffman, owner of Chef’s Table, told GoLocal about the City Council. "The problems are showing up to work and having your door used as a bathroom all night long. We have to wipe human waste off our property each morning."
Karen Bowler, owner of Tube and Fortune in Chinatown told GoLocal she was glad to see Hales attacking the root problem, rather than going after homeless individuals.

“We don’t have a problem with homeless people; we have a problem with homelessness. We need someone down here who is able to distinguish who needs what,” Bowler said.

Charlie Hales

Experts Praise Hales

Michael Withey, a long-time advocate for the homeless and founder of Micro Community Concepts, a Portland non-profit that creates affordable housing in the city, told GoLocal he was pleased with how Hales has handled the issue of homelessness during his term.

“I’ve been working on low-income housing for a year now, and the last mayor didn’t help much, and a lot of the other people who were running for mayor seemed indecisive,” Withey said. “He’s willing to sacrifice politically for the homeless. I think he has done an amazing job so far.”

Rebecca Tweed, Political and Communications Director for State Street Solutions, told GoLocal that she believes Hales is responding to the wishes of Portland residents in his actions surrounding the issue of homelessness.

“From talking to people in Portland, I think it’s on top of the list of priorities for voters,” Tweed said of Hales’ handling of homelessness. “I think Mayor Hales is recognizing how much of an issue it is to citizens.”

Emphasis on Homelessness Should Remain

State Treasurer Ted Wheeler (D), the lone declared candidate to replace Hales as the city’s chief executive after Hales announced his decision not to seek re-election has said repeatedly throughout his campaign that he intends to make homelessness a focus point during his potential term.

Jake Weigler, Wheeler’s campaign spokesperson, told GoLocal that “when Ted declared his candidacy, he named homelessness and housing affordability as top priorities. We expect to release multiple proposals on the subject as the campaign continues.” He declined to share details about any of the proposals