Nonprofit plans drop-in center for homeless in Astoria – July 8, 2021

A daytime drop-in center to serve the homeless will open in downtown Astoria next month.

Filling Empty Bellies, a nonprofit that provides meals and other services to people in need, has signed a one-year lease on a building on Commercial Street, the former location of Capricorn Pub and Fine Foods. Both Filling Empty Bellies and Beacon Clubhouse — a nonprofit, membership-based center that provides mental health support and other services — will move into the building.

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Homeless liaisons begin outreach: A countywide push to help with housing – May 7, 2021

During her first month in a new role, Cheryl Paul, a Clatsop County homeless liaison, has been getting to know the homeless population in Seaside, offering to help connect people to different housing options.

During an Astoria homeless task force meeting on Thursday, Paul was credited for helping a woman in a camper find permanent housing and store the camper.

Seaside Police Chief Dave Ham said the woman’s camper was parked on 12th Avenue and Necanicum Drive, an area where several RVs are parked….

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Astoria clinic provides virus vaccines to homeless – May 3, 2021

Twenty homeless people received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against the coronavirus at a health and wellness clinic on Thursday at the Astoria Armory.

People who are homeless have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, but are also among the more difficult groups to reach with resources and information.

Clatsop Community Action, which organized the event, did not set any concrete vaccination goals….

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Letter: Cadre by Barry L. Plotkin – April 20, 2021

Other letter-writers have commented on the wonderful job the Clatsop County Public Health Department has done in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine.

I echo that praise, not only for the professional health care workers but also for the volunteers who are supporting them. This letter is motivated by those volunteers, who give direct evidence of the level of involvement the community is willing to step up to if the purpose is worthwhile and well-coordinated.

About two years ago, a proposal was made to the mayor’s Homelessness Solutions Task Force to form a cadre of volunteers who would be present — perhaps 24/7 — in downtown Astoria, walking the streets in pairs….

Read the letter in The Astorian here.

Vaccine outreach planned for the homeless in Astoria: Event will focus on wellness – April 12, 2021

In an effort to get coronavirus vaccinations to the homeless, Clatsop Community Action will hold a wellness event in Astoria this month.

The homeless became eligible to receive the vaccine in March, part of a group that included seafood and agricultural workers, as well as people displaced by wildfires. But they are one of the more challenging populations to reach.

The wellness event is set for April 29 at the Astoria Armory. Clatsop Community Action hopes to attract about 50 people and will be offering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine….

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Police feel the weight of crisis response: A small number of people account for hundreds of police calls – April 12, 2021

Sixteen people accounted for nearly 600 calls to the Astoria Police Department last year.

Many involved drinking in public, emotional outbursts, fighting, welfare checks, abandoned junk and trespassing. They often shared the common threads of homelessness, mental illness and drug and alcohol abuse.

While most of the calls did not lead to arrests, court appearances or jail time, they placed a significant burden….

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Converting motels to housing one step closer: Idea in response to wildfires, housing shortage – April 1, 2021

SALEM — The conversion of hotels and motels to emergency shelters and low-cost housing would be eased under a bill that is halfway through the state Legislature.

House Bill 3261 would exclude the conversion of hotels and motels purchased for emergency shelters or low-cost housing from land use challenges in cities and counties. Lawmakers made federal money available for such purchases last year under Project Turnkey, which is overseen by the Oregon Community Foundation.

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Letter: Two kinds by Barry L. Plotkin – April 1, 2021

Referencing Rick Bowers’ letter of March 6, there are two kinds of homelessness — economic and chronic.

Economic homelessness can be solved by additional housing stock, but that housing stock has to be affordable. When housing is scarce, as it is in Astoria, affordable housing can only be created by changes in zoning that permit greater density, and economic incentives to builders to charge affordable rents….

Read the letter in The Astorian here.

New leadership in place at Astoria Warming Center – March 12, 2021

As the winter season comes to a close, the Astoria Warming Center is planning for next season with new leadership.

The warming center operates an emergency shelter for the homeless during the winter months in the basement of First United Methodist Church…

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Behind the News: ‘Homelessness has many different faces’ – March 6, 2021

Clatsop Community Action has an outsized role in the social services safety net on the North Coast.

The nonprofit operates the regional food bank and provides housing, energy assistance and other critical services to low-income people.

Over the past year, Clatsop County has expanded the agency’s portfolio to encompass a veterans services officer and a homeless liaison.

Like Helping Hands and the volunteer-driven Astoria Warming Center and Filling Empty Bellies, Clatsop Community Action has tried to change perceptions….

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Letter to the Editor: What causes homelessness? by Rick Bowers – March 6, 2021

As I began to look deeper into the problem of homelessness, I asked myself the question: What causes homelessness?

Of course, I knew there would be many answers, because just like any population, the unsheltered population is diverse. I was left more confused after a consultation with Professor Google, so being a numbers cruncher, chose to collect some data for myself, and see what they had to say.

The short answer — rental prices have a huge impact….

Read the letter in The Astorian here.

Homeless liaisons to lead outreach in county: Idea grew out of city task force – March 5, 2021

Clatsop County will soon have two liaisons dedicated to connecting homeless people to social services, along with gathering data and addressing gaps in outreach.

The positions, funded by the county and Clatsop Community Action, grew out of an Astoria task force on homelessness. The liaisons will work under Clatsop Community Action and the agency is trying to secure continuous funding into the future…..

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Everyday People: Serving seniors, fostering connection: Limited by virus, senior center adapts – March 1, 2021

Every day, people stop by the Astoria Senior Center, peer through the glass door and ask executive director Larry Miller, “So when do you expect to be open?”

The answer: He’s not sure….

In the last few years, Hayes had started conducting interviews with the area’s homeless, hoping to better understand them and their situations. It was a sort of holdover from his days in social work, the long lists of questions you would ask people to try to gauge their situation and needs….

Read the article in The Astorian here.

[Note — see some of Roger’s interviews here.]

Letter: Feeling pain by Julia Snyder – February 23, 2021

To those on the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District Board, I understand your decision not to open the Broadway Middle School, now vacant, as a shelter for the homeless, and I feel your pain in doing so.

Yes, there are people in Seaside who are homeless, huddling in doorways, under stairways and in makeshift tents, in temperatures in the 20s and 30s, in snow, ice and rain. But they are not your concern….

Read the letter in The Astorian here.

Letter: CAHOOTS by Martin LeTourneau – February 18, 2021

In 1989, the city of Eugene developed an innovative community-based public safety system to respond to crises involving mental illness, homelessness and addiction.

The Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) program in Eugene has a 31-year history of success, garnering critical acclaim and saving money for their police and fire departments.

It is obvious that Clatsop County has issues with homelessness, with drug and alcohol addictions and with mental health concerns….

Read the letter in The Astorian here.

Guest Column: Strange rhythm of the session – February 16, 2021

…Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, told of walking his dogs across a Salem pedestrian bridge, witnessing the large homeless population and watching a woman walk shoeless in the rain. “As I continued to walk, I started to notice that my puppies were going to be warmer tonight than that young lady,” Smith told his House colleagues, urging them to collaboratively address homelessness.

Oregon’s plight is Salem’s plight: Seven former newspaper colleagues and I met by Zoom last week. Collectively, we have more than two-and-a-half centuries of journalistic experience.

They asked how Salem has changed in the years since they had moved on. My response was quick and brief: “Homelessness and lack of housing are far greater.”…

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Letter to the Editor: Journey of understanding by Rick Bowers – February 16, 2021

Several years ago, when my wife and I moved to Astoria, we knew winters could be a challenge. To force ourselves to get out of the house, we intentionally did not get internet, and instead opted for a daily outing to the library in order to “get connected.”

Guess who else hangs out at the library? The unsheltered, of course. Thus began my journey of understanding. The folks I met did not match the stereotypes I had imagined. I began to hear stories of struggles, frustrations, failures, successes and joys….

Read the letter in The Astorian here.

Letter: End chronic homelessness by Teresa Barnes – February 13, 2021

I’m writing in response to The Astorian’s recent article (Feb. 4) about the “lawlessness” in the Ninth Street park, discussed at the Feb. 1 Astoria City Council meeting, and to address a theme I heard at the meeting: the safety of our residents.

In reference to business owners who feel threatened, councilors repeatedly expressed the importance of keeping Astoria’s residents safe. I agree with them. But rather than view public safety as an issue with business owners on one side and the unsheltered on the other, I ask our leaders to pursue solutions which provide safety for all residents….

Read the letter in The Astorian here.

Park district cool to warming center in Seaside: Shelter was supposed to open on Saturday – February 10, 2021

SEASIDE — The future of a warming center is in question after Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District board members asked to table the proposal for now.

“This just came in our radar last week,” board member Celeste Bodner said. “There’s a whole coalition of people working on homeless issues for decades. We should be playing a support role, not a main role. I think it’s mission creep and has the potential of alienating folks.”

Read the article in The Astorian here.

Astoria to crack down on lawlessness at park: Complaints at Ninth and Astor – February 2, 2021

The Astoria City Council has supported taking a zero-tolerance approach to bad behavior at the park on Ninth and Astor streets after complaints from residents, business owners and visitors.

Mayor Bruce Jones said city councilors have received a number of complaints about the park, a common gathering place for the homeless with a port-a-potty nearby and regular food distribution by Filling Empty Bellies….

Read the article in The Astorian here.

New homes may be small, but pack a environmentally sustainable punch – January 24/26, 2021

When Mary Ostafi and her husband, Joe Ostafi, drove up to the model home of Hiatus Roanoke in northwest Bend, she knew she had found her place.

Everything about the 1,200 -square -foot home hit all her must-have buttons.

Sustainable building products: check.

Small footprint: check.

Energy efficient: check.

This article was published on the 24th The Bulletin, the daily newspaper of Bend, Oregon. It was printed in The Astorian on the 26th. Read the entire article here in The Bulletin.

Housing options in the works for Astoria – January 11, 2021

Astoria’s population peaked a century ago at around 14,000 people, driven by the region’s fishing and logging economy and military presence. The city’s population has since shrunk to 9,675, according to the most recent estimates from Portland State University.

Astoria City Councilor Roger Rocka touched on the city’s past while calling for a renewed focus on workforce housing.

“People who work here should be able to live here,” Rocka said at a City Council meeting in December. “… Surely we can find housing now for 10,000 people.”

Read the entire article here in The Astorian.