MARCH 2021 Rs Representatively Speaking

SOUTHEAST EXAMINER Your Neighborhood News Source March 2021 Created and Powered by the Love of Community southeastexaminer.com Our 32nd Year Vol 32 No 3 Portland, OR Mt. Scott Community Center as a Homeless Shelter BY DANIEL PEREZ-CROUSE Since November 2020, The Mt. Scott tem is when people secure this bed, it is Community Center has been a 24-hour theirs. People can also bring their pets and homeless shelter with 75 beds and it will belongings. remain this way until spring. “You don’t have to choose to leave Portland Parks & Recreation Direc- your animal outside – that’s your family tor, Adena Long, said, “Portland’s parks member too,” he said. It’s not a shelter and community centers belong to all of our specified for a particular gender, so couples neighbors and PP&R is here to serve all can be together at Mt. Scott with their beds Portlanders, especially those that need us placed next to each other. the most.” Having the location open 24-hours Denis Theriault, Communications means there’s no required time to be there Coordinator at the Joint Office of Home- and giving people their own space is, as less Services, gives insight into Mt. Scott’s Theriault says, a way of providing some recent developments, in addition to paint- stability in a trauma-informed way. ing a broader picture of the goals and pro- “We don’t want people to feel like cesses behind shelter spaces. they can’t come because they have to leave Theriault notes that many think of something or someone behind,” he said shelters as places where people line up at To clarify, Mt. Scott is primarily for night, hoping to get lucky. However, Mt. adults without any special circumstance or Scott is mainly referral-based; you can’t need that would require a unique space. just show up and get a bed. Moreover, he For example, those who have children says it has been at near or full capacity would go to a family shelter. since November. Theriault says the goal is to priori- People who get placed on wait lists tize locals of a given area for shelters. Al- L to R: Heather Middleton, Britt Urban, Tremaine Clayton and Haika Mushi for Mt. Scott may have reached out to shel- though, with temporary shelters, this is less Photo by Portland Street Response ter services beforehand or were referred by of a priority. others in their community. “No guarantees. We take folks in Portland Street Response Launches “Before a shelter opens, you want to from anywhere that needs shelter, but we have a good sense of who’s in line for those are always open to that conversation.” beds,” said Theriault. From there, they Speaking of that “conversation,” he BY NANCY TANNLER communicate with people two weeks prior says there was action made to invite people to opening and verify if they still want a camping at Laurelhurst and recalls about The Portland Street Response (PSR) There has been a 20 percent increase bed. 20 joining the center from there. program launched their first four-person in distress calls coming from this area and The purpose behind the referral sys- This is not the first time Mt. Scott has team on February 16 in the Lents neighbor- the size of the area, a five-mile radius, is continued on page 13 hood. PSR is an alternative to sending the manageable for this trial run response police to mental health calls and homeless team. There are 35,000 people living here issues. They do not respond to criminal or and over 150 different languages are spo- emergency calls. ken, making it one of the most diverse Although the need for this service is neighborhoods in Portland. greatest in downtown Portland, Robyn Bu- The PSR pilot program was approved Multnomah County Justice System rek, Program Manager for Portland Fire & by City Council in November of 2019 but Rescue Portland Street Response, said they was slow to start due to COVID-19. Burek BY DON MACGILLIVRAY chose the Lents neighborhood for several said that after all the civil unrest resulting reasons. from the death of George Floyd in June of last year, City Council agreed to increase Over the summer, Portland’s impas- oters are treated following their arrest after PSR budge from the initial $50,000 to $4.8 sioned demonstrations and accompanying the nightly demonstrations. This puts some million. riots have received national attention. Law of the offenders back on the street with the City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty enforcement in Portland has been seriously opportunity to continue their disruptive be- and Mayor Ted Wheeler are strong propo- scrutinized, but the other half of the justice haviors which may make maintaining or- nents of this program. system deserves to be inspected equally. der more difficult for the authorities. The first PSR team includes a fire- Both are undergoing review and change by Simultaneously, the public is call- fighter/paramedic, a mental health clini- state and local government. ing for reductions in police budgets and cian and two community health workers. Multnomah County is introducing in these troubled times, many experienced The firefighter/paramedic and mental reforms within the criminal justice system police officers are considering retirement. health clinician will respond first by going concerning cash bail, pretrial detention, Lawmakers are condemning the violence directly to a person in crisis and provid- charges on misdemeanors and the ways ri- while they rework the laws that have his- continued on page 19 continued on page 17 BUSINESS WALKABOUT COMMUNITY NEWS A&E Fermenter PP&R Summer Programming New George Colligan Album Cultured and fermented food business Programming is back on the menu for Theoretical Planets, Long Term Goals just moves to a larger space, offering dining, Summer 2021 with offerings for all ages. released from Portland Jazz musician. take-out and delivery. PAGE 8 PAGE 7 PAGE 10 Montavilla Farmers Market Vaccine Cost Covered Adrienne Stacey Show The year round market has expanded to All health plans in Oregon (private, Medi- A Lightness of Being, A Bursting of Joy at make space for the nearly 40 community- care and OHP) will cover the cost of the PDX Commons on Belmont. minded vendors. PAGE 9 COVID-19 vaccine. PAGE 7 PAGE 11 2 THE SOUTHEAST EXAMINER MARCH 2021 Rs Representatively Speaking BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROB NOSSE I can recall many moments in my lifetime that reveal the sometimes stark differences in the ways people of color experience policing and daily living in the US versus what I experience as a white male, but I cannot remember one galvanizing the culture, particularly the white part of our culture, in the way the murder of George Floyd has. Maybe it was the pandemic with more of us having time on our hands due to being unem- ployed, not in school or working from home. Maybe it was how social media made sharing and resharing about what happened so easy. Maybe it was Donald Trump’s presidency and his racism brought to the attention of all The Caucus is advocat- 7. Expand access to democ- of us so regularly in a way that ing for over 40 different pieces racy: ensuring equitable access to we have not experienced with any of legislation under 10 themes the ballot and voting rights and other president I can remember. which include: the ability to run for office. Or maybe it was just that fi- 1. Police accountability: 8. Equitable, welcoming nally enough of us white people Putting laws in place that hold in- and transparent government: are starting to get it – that some- dividual police officers and police Working to make the Capitol thing has to be done about racism organizations accountable to the more accessible to communities, in policing and criminal justice as community for racist conduct and lobbyists, non-native English well as in health care and educa- behaviors that disproportionately speakers and potential legislators. tion and our economy. target BIPOC populations. 9. Revenue reform: Be- We have to address these 2. Criminal justice reform: cause BIPOC communities are issues if the lives of Black, In- Eliminating legalized slavery disproportionately affected by an digenous and People of Color in Oregon’s prison system and inequitable tax system. (BIPOC) are going to get better eliminating wealth transfers from 10. Protect and expand and we are going to be a less rac- their communities through the critical social services: Ensuring ist nation. justice system. equitable services and support for Here in Oregon, people of 3. Economic opportunity: the most vulnerable among us. e SOUTHEAST EXAMINER color and their organizations have Providing targeted support for BI- Each of these themes have Serving residents of Hosford-Abernethy, Kerns, North Tabor, more representation in the Ore- POC workers and BIPOC-owned several different proposed pieces Laurelhurst, Montavilla, Mt. Tabor, Richmond, Buckman, gon Legislature than in any other small businesses who have been of legislation that will attempt to South Tabor and Sunnyside neighborhoods. moment in our state’s history and disproportionately impacted by make them happen. certainly more than I have seen in the COVID-19 pandemic so they Helping to pass bills that Total circulation: 26,400 any of my previous terms in of- can remain open and can be suc- make our state less racist and im- (24,800 mailed copies + 1,600 placed in street stands) fice. This a solid development. cessful. prove the lives of BIPOC com- Mailed and distributed the last week of each month. They have organized into 4.

Load more