In my last newsletter, I mentioned that a subcommittee of the Housing Committee is exploring how other cities provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness who cannot find space in traditional shelters. Each year, many in this population are forced to camp outdoors—sometimes in tents, sometimes without. In either case, they and their belongings are exposed to constant wet conditions, with no secure place to store possessions and no easy access to bathrooms.
Working with the Justice Coalition, the subcommittee again approached the City with the idea of managed camping to address this situation. Once more, they were reminded that this is a complicated and expensive proposition, requiring, among other things, full-time staff. The City’s points are well taken, though we recently learned that Seaside has moved forward in this area. Still, if not managed camping, what plans exist to provide shelter for unhoused people during the winter months? So far, there appear to be none.
In response, we proposed holding a program in October where the City and County could share what efforts they have put in place and answer questions about their plans for those still needing shelter. We hoped that such a program would both highlight the City’s and County’s work and encourage them to suggest alternatives to managed camping. We knew the timeline was tight, and the staff agreed. We were also concerned the program might end up “preaching to the choir.” Ultimately, we decided to drop the idea of an October program, though we may revisit it in the spring.
The committee is also interested in hosting a program on how to build affordable, energy-efficient, and attractive housing in Corvallis. If you have ideas on how this might happen, please contact me at [email protected].
We continue to seek new committee members. Some current members need to step back due to personal concerns, resulting in fewer people to share the workload.
Karyle Butcher, Chair Housing Committee