Portland Commissioner Fish Commits To Help Homeless
Portland, OR November 10, 2008 10:59 a.m.
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DiscussThe City of Portland released several recommendations today (Friday) to improve the health of those living on the streets. Becca Bartleson reports.
Over half of the people living without homes in Portland are at risk of dying if they remain without assistance.
The City hired the non-profit Common Ground to assess the city with its “Vulnerability Index.”
Commissioner Nick Fish says Portland leads the nation in the number of homeless people surveyed with three or more significant illnesses.
Fish says the city learned that almost half of the adults surveyed would probably die on the streets if they continued to live there.
Fish: "With this data what we now need to do is a more comprehensive approach to the problem. We are gonna put some additional city resources into warming centers, we’re gonna make a substantial investment in a resource access center which will have 150 units of housing, 90 shelter beds and a warming center."
Fish says 60 of the most vulnerable adults will be placed in emergency winter housing. Two proposed warming centers will also keep about 150 people out of the elements.
© 2008 OPB
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