Out of the Streets of Portland

• Terry's Story: "I really didn't think I'd make it"

  In this episode of the podcast "Out of the Streets of Portland", we hear the story of Terry and Tiffany, a couple that lost their housing right at the beginning of the pandemic, and was faced with a medical emergency soon after that, when Tiffany contracted bacterial meningitis. She lost her ability to hear, and to walk more than a few steps without assistance. Terry became her full-time caregiver, while the couple lived in their van on the streets of Portland.   The podcast also discusses the support and resources provided by the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) and the voter-passed Supportive Housing Services Measure, which has helped the couple find stable housing. It highlights the challenges the couple faced, the resources they utilized, and the support they received from local organizations and the Joint Office of Homeless Services.    Terry and Tiffany's experience highlights the importance of existing resources and community support in transitioning from homelessness. "Pretty much Pat [Peace Lunch - located at Multnomah County Friends Meetinghouse in SE Portland] fed us every day for lunch," Terry said, emphasizing the role of local support in their survival. "That's where we would go. We lost our storage with 90% of our stuff in it. I really didn't think I'd make it. I thought she [Tiffany]'d be in a nursing home and I'd be on the street."   Terry also mentioned the challenges of navigating the system: "You gotta sign up and it's a place for you to go, but you just gotta jump through their hoops. You can't, you know, you gotta  follow their rules." Despite these hurdles, the couple managed to find temporary shelter and eventually permanent housing with the help of organizations like TPI and Central City Concern.   Finally, Terry expressed gratitude for the programs that made their transition possible: "Once you're in the the couples shelter, that's the next step, and it's like, it's all in one. You stay there and then they're at the hotel and then they find you housing once you're at the hotel, that's when that process starts." This underscores the structured and supportive nature of these programs in helping individuals and couples find stability.   Terry and Tiffany faced multiple challenges, including a medical emergency and the loss of their home, which strained their relationship and physical well-being. "It was so hard. She had bacterial meningitis, COVID, and then she had COVID again after she got out of the hospital," Terry recounted. "I mean, it's scary. It really is."   He emphasized the need for ongoing support and resources to help individuals maintain their mental health and relationships: "They set us up for doctor's appointments, all sorts of stuff. It was nice," Terry added. "The resources are out there. You just gotta apply. You gotta jump to their little hoops and you gotta follow through."   Despite the challenges, Terry's persistence and the support of friends and local organizations played a crucial role in their eventual success. "We were there [at the motel shelter] for 3 months and then we got hooked up with Home Forward and now we're here, in our own apartment", Terry said. "It's a godsend, it really is." Key takeaways: - Terry and Tiffany faced homelessness due to a medical emergency, which is extremely common - 70% of people experiencing homelessness in our area have a disability or other health issues. - The couple struggled to find safe parking spots for their van, dealing with issues of security and the challenge of finding safety on the streets. - Local resources, such as food assistance and specific shelters for couples, were crucial in helping Terry and Tiffany navigate their situation. - The Supportive Housing Services Measure, a 10-year program passed by Metro voters in 2020, has been instrumental in providing housing and support to chronically homeless households. - The process of securing housing often involves multiple steps, including temporary shelters and hotel stays, before finding permanent supportive housing. - Support from friends and family, while sometimes limited, can be a critical factor in overcoming homelessness. - The importance of following through with plans and utilizing available resources is key to changing one's life.  

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• Overview of the New Homeless Services Data Dashboard

  The new data dashboard by the Joint Office of Homeless Services in Multnomah County provides a comprehensive and dynamic view of homelessness, enhancing transparency and accountability. The Joint Office of Homeless Services introduced a new data dashboard that consolidates various reports into a single, user-friendly platform. Lori Kelly, the planning and evaluation manager, explains, "We're looking for a very user friendly site that has a lot of definitions. It has line charts and bar charts depending on what kind of data we're sharing." This dashboard will allow users to filter data by demographics, such as age, gender, and chronic homelessness, providing a detailed and nuanced understanding of the homeless population. The dashboard will also track inflow and outflow, as well as output and outcome metrics for housing, shelter, and prevention services. Kelly noted, "The dashboard will also include output and outcome metrics on housing, shelter, and prevention, and so it will have everything ranging from shelter occupancy and a number of people being served in shelters all also filterable by demographics, as well as how many people were serving in prevention, how many people were serving in different types of housing, how many people are housed effectively, and how many people are waiting for housing inside our programs." Additionally, the dashboard will feature retention rates for those who have been housed, helping to assess the long-term success of housing initiatives. Kelly elaborated, "We track retention afterwards, and we can also figure out that they are no longer stably housed if they show up in asking for housing or in a shelter system." This dynamic tool is designed to support both frontline workers and policymakers in making informed decisions and improving services. The Joint Office of Homeless Services uses a by-name list to more accurately track and serve the homeless population, reflecting a more sophisticated and compassionate approach. The by-name list, a key component of the data dashboard, offers a more accurate and comprehensive view of homelessness compared to the point-in-time count. Lori Kelly explained, "The by-name list is intended to be used for things like case conferencing and prioritizing people for services. And so it's really looking at people who are actively engaging in the system and helping people understand and find people so they can do their work. This method ensures that the data reflects the real-time status of individuals experiencing homelessness, rather than just a snapshot on a specific night. The by-name list also includes a 90-day inactivity policy, which helps maintain the accuracy of the data. Kelly stated, "If nobody has an interaction with a person for over 90 days, and they are not enrolled in a program, we assume they're still homeless, but we put them into something called inactivity." This approach ensures that the list remains current and useful for service providers, while also respecting the privacy and consent of individuals. The by-name list is also designed to avoid stigmatizing individuals. Kelly emphasized, "We do not require people to give their legal name in order to be on this list. We do request or hope that they will give a name that allows them to be regularly found, meaning they can be Marilyn Monroe every time they talk to us." This flexibility helps build trust and encourages more people to engage with the system, leading to better outcomes for those in need. The concept of data excellence is central to the Joint Office's approach to managing and reporting data. Lori Kelly defines data excellence as "moving towards a state of greater data maturity, which means we have a very robust quality assurance plan. We have increasingly larger amounts of programs and spaces in which we collect data, and we have protocols in place to make sure our data is up to date, accurate, and reflects the populations and the services that we're serving." This commitment to data excellence ensures that the information used to inform policy and service delivery is reliable and actionable. The data dashboard reflects this commitment to data excellence by providing a clear and comprehensive view of the homeless population and the services provided. Kelly mentioned, "One other thing you will see is that we continue to increase the amount of people we're housing and sheltering on a regular basis. I love seeing that. You can already see that in our system performance reports, but now you can see it all in one place." This transparency is intended to build public trust and support for the ongoing efforts to address homelessness. Furthermore, the Joint Office is working to ensure that the data is accessible and understandable to the public. Kelly added, "There will be glossaries so people understand what our terms mean. Sometimes they're intuitive, sometimes they're not, and we're having them reviewed by a variety of communications experts to try to make them as easily digestible as possible." This effort to make the data accessible underscores the Joint Office's commitment to transparency and community engagement.

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• "Having an advocate makes all the difference": Benita's Story

  The "Out of the Streets of Portland" podcast, produced by the Joint Office of Homeless Services, focuses on sharing the stories of individuals who are currently or formerly homeless and the services provided to help them move into housing. This episode features Dustin, a housing specialist from the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA), and Benita, a resident of the Francis and Claire Apartment building, who shares her journey from homelessness to permanent supportive housing. This podcast episode highlights the work of NARA in providing outreach and housing services to people experiencing homelessness, particularly focusing on the story of Benita, who navigated the challenges of homelessness and eventually secured a home with the help of NARA and Dustin. Dustin, a housing specialist with the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA), shared his journey from being a BIPOC CHAT team member to a housing case manager. "My primary job was to assess individuals who came in looking for housing needs and then help them with document readiness and get prepared for housing," he said. His role evolved to include more case management, where he used his personal experiences to connect with clients. "I have experienced a lot of what they are experiencing, you know, all of our individual experiences of course are gonna be different," Dustin explained, highlighting the importance of empathy and personal connection in his work. Benita, a newly-housed resident of the Francis and Claire Apartment building, echoed the significance of having an advocate who could relate to her struggles. "Once I got connected to them, it was, he was just on it for me. He's just been the best advocate I've ever had for helping with situations that are really this severe," she said, referring to Dustin. Benita's journey from homelessness to permanent housing was marked by personal challenges, including a history of domestic violence and mental health issues. "Every time I needed something, he was right there. He would always take my phone calls, so he made it really easy for me to be homeless, you might say, and be in that situation," she added, emphasizing the impact of having a supportive and understanding advocate. Dustin, a housing specialist with NARA, pointed out that the assumption that homelessness is primarily driven by addiction is often misguided. "Probably 60% of the people that come to our offices looking for help are not experiencing drug addiction, and they're experiencing abuse of some other sort. They're experiencing financial hardship," he said. Benita's story is a poignant example of this complexity. "I ended up going into the hospital with a mental breakdown from all of the stress from [the racism and harassment she experienced at her apartment complex], and then after getting out of the hospital, that's what got me into getting hooked up with NARA," she explained, detailing the series of events that led to her homelessness, including racial profiling and domestic violence. Culturally responsive services can significantly enhance the effectiveness of support for marginalized communities. The Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA) was founded to provide a safe and culturally relevant space for Native Americans seeking help with substance abuse and other issues. "It started as a treatment center, when Buzz Nelson and some of his close friends decided that there needed to be a place for Native Americans to go to be able to heal from the disease of alcoholism, because at the time, Alcoholics Anonymous in Portland was pretty racist and they weren't really too happy to see Natives coming into their white spaces trying to heal and recover," Dustin explained. NARA's approach to holistic care, which includes medical, dental, and mental health services, is rooted in Native American spirituality and values. "We really try to just treat the whole individual, as far as coming across people who are experiencing addiction and homelessness, I can honestly say that I was surprised myself about how many people come through the doors looking for services for while they're homeless, who are not affected by substance use disorder," he added. Benita, who has Chickasaw Indian heritage, found this culturally responsive approach to be a significant factor in her recovery. "I think a lot of agencies are just so overwhelming. If you get in and get to a good advocate, you're lucky," she said, highlighting the importance of culturally sensitive and personalized support in helping individuals like her navigate their way out of homelessness. Some of the insights surfaced through this interview: ·         Homelessness is a multifaceted issue, with only 40% of individuals seeking services at NARA experiencing active addiction. ·         Many individuals facing homelessness are dealing with severe health issues, domestic violence, financial hardship, and discrimination. ·         There is a significant gap between the perception of homelessness (often linked to drug addiction) and the reality (many individuals are not drug users and face other complex issues). ·         The process of getting into housing can be long and challenging, with construction delays and other factors causing delays. ·         Empathy and support from advocates and service providers are crucial in helping individuals navigate the complex system of services. ·         The Francis and Claire Apartment building, run by Catholic Charities of Oregon, provides 61 units of affordable, permanent supportive housing for people experiencing or at risk of chronic homelessness. ·         NARA offers a range of services, including housing, medical care, mental health support, and addiction recovery, with a focus on Native American spirituality and values.  

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• "Giving others a chance like I was given: Elijah's Story"

  On this episode of Out of the Streets of Portland, we speak with Elijah, who is one of the site managers for the Menlo Park Safe Rest Village in East Portland.  Menlo Park Village came about through extensive collaboration and cooperation of the city of Portland and Multnomah County, and is run by the grassroots organization Cultivate Initiatives. It's a village-style shelter with individual sleeping pods, outdoor gathering spaces and pet areas, as well as kitchen, shower and laundry facilities on site. Accessing a safe and supportive shelter can be a critical part of many people's journey from homelessness back into stability. Within the shelter environment, staff provide safety, empowerment, connection to services, and community support to ensure a transformative experience for all participants. Elijah, one of the staff members with Cultivate Initiatives who help manage the Menlo Park Safe Rest Village site, located at southeast 122nd and Burside in southeast Portland. More information on this alternative shelter, and the numerous other shelter options funded and supported by the Joint Office, can be found at our website https://johs.us in the Emergency Shelters section. The 'Out of the Streets of Portland' podcast is produced by the Joint Office of Homeless Services, a Multnomah County department with funding from the County, the City of Portland, Metro, and the state and federal governments to house, shelter, and provide, street outreach, navigation, employment assistance, assistance obtaining social security income, and case management to people experiencing homelessness in our community.  

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• It Took A Village to Bring Me Back to Myself: Michael's Story

  The latest episode of the Joint Office podcast "Out of the Streets of Portland" features the story of Michael, who successfully navigated out of decades of homelessness and substance use to support and recovery in one of the alternative, village-style shelters that have significantly expanded over the past two years thanks to unprecedented collaboration between the City of Portland and Multnomah County governments. Out of the Streets of Portland is an award-winning monthly podcast produced by the Joint Office of Homeless Services, sharing the stories of people who have experienced homelessness, and explaining the systems and services available to help people move out of homelessness and into stable, supportive housing.

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