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Ashland: Homeless destination By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings Tourists and retirees aren't the only groups attracted to Ashland. "We served 26,000 people last year countywide, and half of them were out of Ashland," ICCA Executive Director Sharon Schrieber said. "That would lead me to believe Ashland is a destination for people who are homeless." Schrieber and other local experts on various aspects of the homeless issue spoke Wednesday to the Ashland City Council at an informational study session. The group discussed causes of homelessness, the makeup of the homeless population in Ashland and the need for an emergency shelter in the city. Community Works Homeless Youth Advocate DawnDee Elliot decried a lack of shelter in the city, particularly for youth. "That's the worst part of my job," Elliot said. "I have to tell them they have to sleep on the street." But for some, sleeping on the streets in Ashland is preferable to sleeping on a shelter bed elsewhere, according to Schrieber. While people in Medford are willing to relocate for shelter, it's a different story in Ashland. "They are predisposed to wanting shelter, but wanting shelter on their own terms," Schrieber said. "In Ashland if we have an opening in Medford, the response is, 'We don't chose to go to Medford.'" Ashland leaders are faced with the dilemma of providing better services for homeless people - many from out of town - which in turn could attract even more homeless people to the city. "It's an issue that's hard to get your arms around," Councilor Chris Hearn said. "It's a problem and we have to be aware of that." "I don't think investing money makes us more of a draw," Councilor Kate Jackson countered. "We're just a nice place to live." Schrieber noted that most of the "out-of-town" homeless are single transients, while homeless families tend to be local, having lost their homes after suffering financial setbacks. Peg Crowley has worked at the Community Health center for 16 years. She has noted an "ebb and flow" in homelessness, but confirmed times are tough. "With the recession more of our local families are at risk," Crowley said. "I think we have a lot of families right on the edge." Both Crowley and Schrieber recommended putting efforts into helping people keep the homes they already have, before being forced out on the street. There has been an upsurge in community concern about homelessness in recent months, both from homeless advocates and others. "I've heard people say if you can get rid of the homeless, you'll get rid of the crime," Councilor Cate Hartzell said. Ashland Chief of Police Scott Fleuter said he has not seen a link between the homeless and serious crime. "I think it's a little unfair to say that," Fleuter said. Fleuter said there have been about six camping ordinance violations in the city over the past six months, in addition to numerous trespassing and other violations which are often related to homeless people looking for a place to sleep. Beyond issuing citations, officers can give referrals for programs which help the homeless. "The difficult thing is how do they get (to assistance agencies)," Fleuter said. "(An emergency shelter in Ashland) would be useful from a police perspective." Southern Oregon is a hard place to find work, even for people without extra challenges the homeless often carry, according Bob Satnik of the Oregon Employment Department. He said the area always has higher-than-average unemployment, even in better times. "It's still difficult to find a job in Ashland, Medford, the whole area," Satnik told the council. "Work in the area is harder to find, wages are lower and housing is expensive." LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -