Item B: Update on Homeless Initiative Action Plan

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SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Local Homeless People Homelessness is an acute symptom of poverty resulting in the loss of basic shelter. For most homeless households the predicament is fundamentally a problem related to the supply and affordability of housing. Affordability is driven by both the price of housing and inadequate income to cover local housing costs. In Eugene over 80% of very-low-income renters are “rent burdened” paying more than 30% of their income for housing. A significant difference exists between the reality of homelessness and the community’s perceptions. The majority of homeless people are never identified or counted, as they are doubled up with friends or relatives until they either stabilize or must move out. Of those who seek services, 95% are from Lane County. Most (84%) local homeless people have a “situational” condition that can be averted with a relatively inexpensive emergency intervention. Many of these people are employed and experienced a temporary loss of income or an extraordinary expense – often due to health care. Others are victims of domestic violence or are military veterans. In 2007, more than 8,800 unduplicated homeless individuals received services in Lane County. Although the public image of homelessness is a single adult, about a third of homeless people are children. 1,965 homeless children were enrolled in Lane County schools in 2006/2007 -- over 70% in Eugene and Springfield. These children are severely disadvantaged educationally and struggle to learn the basics because they transfer schools frequently, miss classes, suffer with low self-esteem and social isolation, and lack suitable places to do their homework. The results are troubling for society, as illiteracy is the single biggest indicator of future criminal activity. Chronically Homeless Some households are in a precarious financial condition because their expenses aren’t covered by a consistent and adequate income. They cycle in and out of “situational homelessness”. If they do not stabilize they can become long-term “chronically homeless”. Chronically homeless people make up about 16% of the local homeless population. Most have challenges including physical impairment, psychiatric disability, and substance abuse, which prevent them from earning enough money to afford housing. Many have multiple diagnoses. Typically, chronically homeless people live in the shadows and try to avoid attention. However, some reflect the common community image of homelessness when they ask for spare change at busy intersections. Chronically homeless people disproportionately cost society much more than those who are situationally homeless because they place significant demands on public health and safety systems. The federal government is encouraging each community to adopt a Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. The federal government focused on this population because the numbers are smaller and the impact is larger. The state of Oregon is also working on its Ten Year Plan. Lane County adopted its plan in November 2006. Communities, including Portland, which have both adopted a plan and targeted resources, are now witnessing notable successes. 6 Blue Ribbon Committee on Homelessness, Recommendation April 2, 2008 -- Page