Sharing power is what a democracy is supposed to be about, but most people have no idea how to be involved with the democratic process.
The Civic Action Group is working to show the homeless community in Portland how to become involved. By engaging members of the homeless community in community organizing activities, we are building leadership skills within the community.
The Civic Action Group is composed of folks with experience of homelessness, but we are also looking for housed allies to help with events. We look to the homeless community for direction and individuals within our homeless community as tomorrow’s leaders, gradually developing experience and skill sets to advocate on behalf of our homeless community.
Last November Sisters hired Patrick Nolen as community organizer for the Civic Action Group and the group began outreach to the homeless community in December. He has been a member of Sisters of the Road Board of Directors as a representative from the homeless community for two years. Nolen summarizes his work, “Building leadership skills in the homeless community is important for dignity. People will appreciate something more if they help work toward it instead of being handed something. The empowerment from standing up and speaking out will develop skills and confidence that carry over to other aspects of their lives.”
The Civic Action Group is working to make sure people who have experienced homelessness are present and actively involved when policy decisions are made. We’re also working to ensure that we correctly reflect the concerns, experiences, and values of the homeless community. To accomplish that, the group held a focus meeting on April 6 about the ongoing negotiations with the SAFE oversight committee, which is overseeing the requests made by the SAFE workgroup.
The SAFE workgroup, appointed through the mayor’s office, included the city attorney, Multnomah County district attorney, and representatives from the business community and neighborhood association. Also included were people representing the homeless community but no one who had been homeless. Among those attending our focus group were 28 members of the homeless community.
The proposed sit-lie ordinance restricts people from sitting on the sidewalk. The city has installed six benches on public sidewalks, and 25 benches have been proposed for the next budget. We’re asking that the City of Portland include members of the homeless community when deciding were the benches will be placed. The agreement also stated that there would be a day center with restrooms, showers, storage and outreach services able to accommodate 150 people and where members of the homeless community can go.
The city is having difficulty finding a site downtown for a more permanent day center. The mayor’s office and the Portland Business Alliance are eager to initiate the ordinance, but pushing people around when they’re exhausted and have nowhere to go seems inhumane to the Civic Action Group. However, in the focus group, people expressed a strong desire to be working instead of hanging around downtown. A couple of the hurdles to finding and keeping work is the challenge of finding a place to shower before or after work and the inability to store your belongings anywhere safe during working hours.
Opening more public restrooms is included in the agreement. The shortage of open public restrooms is well known in Portland. The PBA reported about half of its maintenance calls for service include cleaning up urine and feces. Our community still thinks we need public restrooms open in more locations and especially late at night.
By bringing the experience and concerns of the homeless community to a variety of community policy decisions, the Civic Action Group hopes to lessen the divide between the wealthy powerbrokers and those less empowered, chipping away at the exclusion keeping many homeless people feeling isolated and powerless to change.
