Xander Levine on Homelessness #GovernorGoals
We need a governor that has legitimate plans – plans to not only help our city of Portland, but also the greater state as a whole.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece is a part of our #GovernorGoals series. Learn more about it here. Send your goals on one of the selected topics to theway@or360.org for potential publication.
The homeless crisis in Portland has been an issue for as long as I could remember, however in recent years it's seemingly gotten worse. Perhaps blame should lie with the pandemic or a turbulent economy or a combination of the two and other factors. Whatever the reason(s), the next governor of Oregon needs to work with the city of Portland to implement successful strategies to curve the rate of homeless individuals.
It seems like our city has tried everything, however little has made noticeable progress. On the eastside of Portland, thanks to public-sector efforts, you can find small pods with beds inside, which individuals can sign up to sleep in. That’s not the only effort that’s been made. The City has “expanded” programs within the metro area to house more, and feed more. But nothing seems to be working. Drive on I-5 and you can spot mass tent camps on the side of the highway, almost making it seem like we live in a developing country. Whatever the City has done is not enough.
As the homeless crisis grows, so does the mental health crisis among homeless individuals. Last year, Andrew Yang ran for mayor of New York City, and one of his biggest campaign promises was that New Yorkers deserve to walk down the street at night and feel safe. His campaign failed, but his message shouldn't. The next governor of Oregon should adopt the same, and work their hardest to affect positive change on both the homeless issue and the severe mental health struggles of Oregonians.
We need a governor that has legitimate plans – plans to not only help our city of Portland, but also the greater state as a whole.
Xander is a Student, Skier, Traveler, Portlander.
photo credit: Xander.
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Portlands problem are ones they have created and theirs to deal with. This is not a taxpayer issue for Oregonians outside of Portland.