Leadership and Partner Statements

I'm involved in Shelter Now because of the collective connections that are ever increasing because Shelter Now has shown it's driven by relationship building across communities, politicians, and other stakeholders dedicated to lessening the impact of homelessness and poverty with the goal of ending homelessness altogether. They call for immediate action without dehumanizing or criminalizing those most impacted by homeless policies. They amplify the voices of those with lived experience by advocating for lower barriers to participate in policy discussions, making sure they have an opportunity to share their story and be a meaningful part of decision-making processes. Shelter Now stands behind all forms of successful housing models, even those created and governed by the homeless community members, like the community where I live.

I was invited to work with Shelter Now when I was still houseless and doing outreach work for Street Roots. I was intrigued to have a voice where I was happy to find people who listened to me.

I have made it my focus to advocate for a diverse set of small communities rather than congregate shelters. Some of which would be self determinative models for people needing less assistance, simply a secure place to exist. Others would require support services specific to the needs of small populations that exist on the streets. Again others would require a more intensive level of care and support.

We truly need to create appropriate safe spaces where people can exist as they are, and be met with the appropriate services.

It is exciting to see how the network has evolved…based on the work of volunteers. Because one of the barriers to stability for unhoused people is the opposition of housed neighbors, this effort in building solidarity is extraordinarily important. This network is uplifting compassion of housed neighbors. It also supports their unhoused neighbors, who have a voice in this work. That’s too often not the case in projects, and I’m confident in the commitment to inclusion exhibited by [Shelter Now]. Several Street Roots vendors have participated with [Shelter Now], and we are committed to continuing to provide those pathways.

As an ER doctor seeing the disconnects in our systems, a volunteer providing direct medical services to people living outside and hearing what they want and need, and a County Commissioner responsible for homeless policy seeing the political barriers in accomplishing common goals, I believe the network collaborative being proposed can be a game-changer, and there is no organization more equipped to elevate, coordinate, and administer this work than Shelter Now. I enthusiastically support their proposal that can truly drive change not only in what we as a community can accomplish in terms of addressing homelessness, but in the way we come together to get things done.

In the time I have spent taking the mantle of leading our city’s response to this urgent crisis, I have sincerely valued the voice of this emerging organization as part of the conversation…. They bring both an approach that is humane and compassionate, along with the perspectives of the larger community.

Shelter Now is now and can continue to be a valuable, credible asset to us in this city. At the same time, for such a group to sustain and strengthen its advocacy and other work, it clearly needs some financial assistance to help fund essential supportive services. We and the larger community will all benefit from such help for Shelter Now.

Alternative shelter options are a critical, scalable element of our local and regional response to the concurrent crises of inadequate affordable housing and inadequate responses to masses of individuals and families living unsheltered on our streets in unsupported and unsafe encampments. Yet these options are currently minimally funded and lack a cohesive, collaborative approach across government and providers.

… the development of our alternative shelter network … is bringing together stakeholders—including opportunities for leadership by those with lived and current experience with houselessness, recovery, stigma, and oppression—to advocate for increased understanding of the importance and need for alternative shelters, as well as to advocate for increased public funding, to shift narratives, and to share effective practices and strategies for overcoming barriers.

As a provider of housing stabilization services for very low-income older adults in Multnomah County, we see everyday how critically necessary it is that policies and programming to address homelessness prioritize the voices and expertise of people with lived experience, who understand firsthand the complexity of navigating our service systems and surviving the traumas of being unhoused. Older adult homelessness has grown dramatically over the last decade, due in large part to systemic inequalities that create barriers to housing stability for BIPOC and people with disabilities.

Shelter Now has been a leader in convening and developing important conversations about collaborative, innovative, and trauma-informed models for alternative shelter and other approaches to meeting the immediate needs of our most vulnerable neighbors and community members. We see the opportunity for this group to help facilitate a new, independent leadership body that will foster the development of new community leaders, build more partnerships to advance racially equitable efforts to end homelessness, and amplify and support the voices of community members who are most impacted by the systemic challenges within our housing and homelessness service systems.

As a citizen of the Portland area, as well as the leader of a nonprofit and member of Shelter Now, I believe in the advocacy and work of our team. The diverse background of our community is strongly represented in our cohort and therefore is able to provide innovative solutions for many often overlooked demographics. The future of our currently small group includes the advancement of all and I’m often in awe of all that has been accomplished and the investment this team has made. This crew will continue to uplift, empower, advocate, and embrace. Tackling the systemic issues associated with homelessness often seems like an insurmountable task but, I see the changes being made each and every day.

As the Advocacy Team Co-Chairs of the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty, we have witnessed first-hand the growing problems of homelessness in our community. It's been an accelerating challenge to find humane solutions for unhoused adults and children. That's why the Alliance helped co-found Shelter Now as we need to develop diverse options for the diverse needs of our community. We highly value Shelter Now's tireless work through their ongoing advocacy and collaborating with partners including the Alliance. Truly, there is strength in numbers.

Shelter Now is contributing ideas and perspectives through its advocacy work that have been missing from the conversations about housing and homelessness. They approach the work with acknowledgement of the need for collaboration, the importance of necessary infrastructure, and the necessity to strategically focus on BIPOC and other vulnerable populations. With the housing crisis we face, all ideas should be on the table for consideration as solutions.