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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Top Galleries: March 1, 2007 Prof touts plan for homeless By Alan Panebaker Ashland Daily Tidings Life on the streets should not be the only option for those down and out, according to a Southern Oregon University professor. In a Wednesday lecture on homelessness in SOU's Stevenson Union, Kimberley Cox, an assistant professor in the psychology department, discussed a "housing first" approach to getting people back on their feet. Rather than easing people into shelters, then transitional housing and finally a permanent home, the housing first approach puts people in homes, then offers helping services. "It's rapid placement," Cox said. "This approach really tries to minimize how much time people spend in the system." Cox is working with Ashland and Medford city councilors, the Jackson County Department of Health and Human Services and other service organizations to create a working group that will develop a 10-year plan with the goal of ending local homelessness. In 2006, 10 SOU psychology students participated in a countywide homeless count. The students went to food banks, emergency shelters and any other place where people might seek emergency services. The survey counted 685 homeless people in the county, the majority male and caucasian. Forty-eight percent were single adults. Forty-six percent of homeless people surveyed in the county were single-parent families. The demographic of the homeless is changing, Cox said, to include more women and children. "One of the fastest growing amounts of homeless are families with children," Cox said. People fleeing abusive relationships, those with drug or alcohol problems or unemployed are most likely to find themselves on the streets in Jackson County, Cox said. The difficulty, she said, is that communities have a tendency to make short-term solutions. "Placing people in shelter seems desirable, but it's actually quite costly," Cox said. The added stress on prisons, emergency services and health care from the homeless populations adds to the cost she said, while not dealing effectively with the primary need. "What people are saying is personal change can't happen until they have the stability of their own home," she said. Under the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness — revived by the Bush administration — 220 communities in the country have taken efforts to start a 10-year plan. The majority of plans target all people and others specifically target the chronically homeless. Since January 2006, the City of Portland moved 600 people into permanent housing. Other cities have made similar gains. Chicago eliminated 1,400 emergency shelter beds to deter people from chronic homelessness. Denver added 423 units of permanent housing. Cox said the goal in communities is finding who is at stake and drawing them in to address the problem. The first step to addressing the problem is gathering data. Jeff Proulx, a human services and psychology student at SOU, is one of the students working on a homeless count for 2007. Originally from upstate New York, Proulx experienced homelessness. He said he knows the challenges but also realizes that it is possible to get out of it. It is a community problem, however, he said. "I think it needs the funding, and I think it needs the community support," Proulx said. "People may not feel like this is a worthy way of spending our money, and that could be a problem." Now ending his college career, Proulx said he hopes the community of Ashland and Jackson County will start seeing homeless people as just like themselves. "One thing to keep in mind is that these people are vibrant human beings with stories and losses," he said. Staff writer Alan Panebaker can be reached at 482-3456 x 227 or [email protected] Current Comments: So how does Ms. Cox think such a grand scheme will get funded? I suspect that she thinks the property owners should, through property tax increases. It is this type of thinking that is making housing out of reach for the middle class in Ashland. When the bleeding hearts in Ashland stop pandering to the homeless, the problem will dramatically improve. AR - Ashland, OR - March 1st, 3:26 PM I agree AR. How about moving some young families, or my hard-working 20+ year old kids into permanent housing. They'll never be able to find affordable housing & live here, but we should buy the "homeless" housing?! No more Taxes - Ashland, OR - March 1st, 4:26 PM Today's DemocracyNow! had a headline item about HUD putting the number of homeless in the US at about 750,000, about 300,000 more than the number of available beds in shelters and temporary housing. The most promising program I've seen is what is done at Dignity Village in Portland (www.dignityvillage.org). Instead of more costly housing formats, DV simply has a construction project of 10'x10' huts that provide a decent upgrade from living in a tent - the huts costing about $5,000 each. Tom - Ashland, Oregon - March 1st, 5:24 PM Well, we'll never become as famous as Santa Monica, recognized around the world as The Home of the Homeless, but why not give it a shot? We're awash in cash up here, and all those unemployed white male campers in their twenties need a place to crash with dignity. I volunteer Ms. Cox's spare bedroom for the pilot project. She might then realize why feeding the pigeons always increases the pigeon population. Failing that, the army provides 3 hots and a cot. Be all you can be, hobo. Joe Camel - Ashland - March 1st, 6:24 PM Based on the article's numbers, the homeless represent 0.42% of the county population. And given that at least half of them are homeless because they do not want responsibility, the number of "truly" homeless (those in real need) is more like 0.2%. Given that Portland has an equivalent percentage more like 0.6%, I think that Ashland and Jackson County are doing more than their share. In any group of 100 folk anywhere, at least three want everything for nothing. That is real life! LetsTalkTurkey - Ashland, OR - March 1st, 6:26 PM Ms. Cox, is right on!! Bravo to her! Kathleen Wenger - Irvine, CA - March 1st, 7:49 PM The cost of homelessness on the community are far bigger than just panhandling. Emergency medical care, criminal prosecution and response, drug treatment all cost tax payers a huge amount for each person on the Street. Professor Cox's 'home first' strategy is a great idea to actually save the taxpayer all those costs by stabilizing the homeless individual or family. Paying for all the emergency services in an endless cycle does nothing, perhaps houses will help improve the bottom line. 1 in 100 - ashland - March 1st, 8:09 PM Oh, if only we could all be professors, safe in our snug little corners, solving the big problems so easily, never knowing want or risk . . . Why, if we could all just gather data and interact with dialog and support and reach consensus, this would be Heaven on Earth � with Tenure! nofreelunch - ashland, OR - March 1st, 8:12 PM Sure, move the homeless into subsidized housing, give a job to those that aren't motivated to hold steady employment. Better yet, let Professor Cox house them at her place until they can "get back on their feet". The problem is not so simple. I asked a transient from Medford why he was begging for change in Ashland and he told me the people were more generous. Give many of the homeless folks what they really want, an endless supply of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and dog food for their pet. Rudolph Neffenberg - Ashland - March 1st, 8:59 PM Ms. Cox like so many in academia are clueless. Ms. Cox needs a good dose of private sector work experience. SOU would be better off without her and her screwball ideas. JD - Ashland, OR - March 1st, 10:19 PM So Prof Cox wants to give these people who often time refuse work a free ride? What about me, the lower middle class. I work, but make too much money for state assistance. I can't afford to pay my rent, and have medical bills out the wazzoo. I am trying hard to make a life for my family and stay in Ashland. Who is going to help me? I want a free place to live, free food, free money... maybe I should give up my job and grab me a sign! Frustrated ( [email protected] ) - Ashland, OR - March 1st, 10:23 PM In SF there is a program for drug addicts that gives them a tiny room with a bed and after following the rehab program for x amount of time, drug testing and counseling (no drugs allowed)they can have a phone that they pay for at a highly reduced rate. They have a shared bathroom and can move up to a private toilet and sink "apt". From what I've heard it works for many of the herione addicts. Give bums a whole house or apt? HA! Talk to the local bums...they don't WANT to work. Lisa - Ashland - March 1st, 11:47 PM Let us lets not forget our dear, misguided, Councilperson Cate Hartzell. A few years back she wanted to emulate an experiment to house our population of "dwelling challenged" in abandoned autos. I suggested in a letter to the editor that I thought it was a great idea and that anyone who had a car to abandon should tow the heap to her front yard. Since she dropped the idea soon after it was published, I can only assume I made my point in shutting her up. That my friends, is no easy task! Dave - Ashland, OR - March 2nd, 1:12 AM Let us not forget our dear, misguided, Councilperson Cate Hartzell. A few years back she wanted to emulate an experiment to house our population of "dwelling challenged" in abandoned autos. I suggested in a letter to the editor that I thought it was a great idea and that anyone who had a car to abandon should tow the heap to her front yard. Since she dropped the idea soon after it was published, I can only assume I made my point in shutting her up. That my friends, is no easy task! Dave - Ashland, OR - March 2nd, 1:20 AM I wonder how many of you who have left angry comments actually attended Dr. Cox's lecture? How many of you actually DO SOMETHING about the issues in your community besides complain about them? I'm guessing the answer is zero.It sounds to me like it is all of you that live in your snug little corners-in Denial. Heaven forbid you try to make a difference in this world.I applaud Dr. Cox for getting the dialogue started to make change. Clearly none of you can do it. Pigeons sir? Shame on you brat! Luca B. - Ashland, OR - March 2nd, 3:34 PM I've thought for some time that SOU should house the homeless at its expense, since it is so sympathetic and concerned. All those vacant offices (professors on sabbatical) could provide shelter; the lush lawns could be used for communal sunbathing and "sharing" with students, a ready-made, non-judgemental audience. Time we got something for our tax dollars! Send 'em out to the Blvd.! nofreelunch - ashland, OR - March 2nd, 3:35 PM I'm really dismayed by the hostility to the homeless that springs up on the Tidings comment pages. Yes, there's a lot of people in Medford/Ashland who probably could find a job and rental if they wanted, or are just privileged teenage runaways who have no concept of real city homelessness, and yes they can even be a tad annoying when asking for money. But my gosh! Whence the deep hostility? What have they ever done to you? Clearly there's more than economics motivating Cox's cynical critics. Jim Steitz - Ashland, OR - March 2nd, 10:25 PM Luca B, in reply to your comment "do something", yes some of us have "done something" like giving millions of $ to the community over the years. We are just fed up with screwball ideas like those presented by Ms. Cox and other clueless individuals. JD - Ashland, OR - March 2nd, 10:35 PM "What have they ever done to you?" OK. Lets start with today in downtown Ashland 1) Harassed me repeatedly to "give me some change man" 2) Told my friends pre-teen daughter to "grow some tits" 3) Nearly hit me with spit, then glared and laughed 4) Subjected me to the smell of urine and feces in the walkway next to Ashland Drug 5) Watched as they gave the finger to a police car for was simply driving by them (thank goodness Chief Toucheyfeeley is gone) 6) Next question? Dave - Ashland, OR - March 3rd, 2:58 AM Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising: Debt Help Inkjet Printers Payday Loans Free Ringtones Debt Consolidation Security Systems Debt Relief New Hampshire Primary Advertisement: Copyright © 2007 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Del.icio.us