Keith Wilson’s Post

I took this photo yesterday while on a homeless outreach ride along the same day Portland city leadership unanimously voted to enact an updated camping ban. Unfortunately, the city’s ‘modified’ camping ban is little more than a declaration of surrender to the devastating unsheltered homelessness crisis in our city. The measure doesn’t ban camping but instead entrenches the public health disaster of tents and derelict RVs across our city. It is little wonder Portland city commissioners collectively sit at a 16% approval rating, with 70% of the public disapproving. If you are looking for a meaningful solution to the tragedy of unsheltered homelessness in our city, you will not find it in this measure or among our current leadership. Abandoning our neighbors to campsites and vehicles is inhumane, and it’s costing lives. When elected mayor, I’ll get people under roofs within 12 months of assuming office. Nighttime emergency shelter will provide safety, security, shelter, and sleep. Day shelters will serve as a ‘warm handoff’ designed to assess individual needs, connect with resources, and permanently help our neighbors off the streets. It’s a proven blueprint developed by my nonprofit, Shelter Portland. We’ve seen the success of this strategy in other cities. Now it’s time to bring it to every corner of Portland. #portland #pdx #keithwilsonforportlandmayor

Findings from a thematic analysis of focus groups with 44 people experiencing homelessness: "Almost all of the focus group participants had sought access to the shelter on one or more occasions. All focus group participants stated they would use the shelters if they were accessible, safe, and clean. Most participants asserted that the shelter lacked enough beds, did not provide needed services, and was unsafe and unsanitary. Negative experiences at the shelter also influenced their decisions, especially disrespectful or abusive treatment by shelter staff or the perception that the shelter's policies were unreasonable. They proposed better choices, such as camping sites or tiny houses." Time and time again, we see that people don't reject shelter simply because they prefer to be unhoused. That's why encampment bans are so ineffective and inhumane; access to safe and dignified accommodations largely doesn't exist in the first place.

As cities begin to clear encampments following Governor Newsom’s recent decision, it is important to recognize that this is not a comprehensive solution to Los Angeles' homelessness crisis. Homelessness in LA is a complex, multifaceted issue that demands an approach sensitive to the unique circumstances of each individual and family in need of immediate support. We created Better Angels to solve LA’s homelessness epidemic through a holistic approach that includes: Prevention, Sanitation, Services, Shelter and Housing. https://lnkd.in/gPuvhwFa

What if you were homeless? Would you feel safer going it alone or finding a group of people that can have your back? Well, that's what I see when I see the homeless encampments. I see people who have bonded over a commonality of homelessness and have created a community that watches out for each other. Just like you might have in your neighborhood today. So, when we step into their encampment, seeking to save them from where they feel safe with the community they have created, I think we need to approach helping them in a different way. I think they'd prefer to be relocated together, with as much of their belongings as possible, to a clean place they can call home even if it's a safe tent parking lot, camp ground or other spot designated by the City as authorized for outdoor camping. When we go in and throw away their life possessions that's not being compassionate or environmentally-conscious. When we break up their social connections and bring them back into a sense of isolation and deprivation, we are creating more trauma and problems for them. As San Diego City and County staff act on the CA state order to remove encampments, ensure you have a plan to relocate these individuals as a group so they can maintain their sense of community unless they are known to commit crimes or need serious medical attention. Those experiencing homelessness are human beings that have adapted to their circumstances and have found a way to survive. Help them find better housing and assistance but don't destroy their community. It's all most of them have left.

In October, Florida will become the latest state to ban homeless camping. Starting in January, any city that does not enforce the ban can be sued, by the State Attorney General or by a local business or resident. "We're gonna have clean sidewalks. We're gonna have clean parks. We're gonna have safe streets," said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, when he signed the new law in March. If there are not enough beds available in homeless shelters, the law will also let cities designate their own temporary shelter sites, something former President Trump supports and has called "relocation camps." Florida is among a handful of states that has passed tougher laws on homelessness in recent years — including Kentucky and Texas — and lawmakers in about a dozen states have debated such legislation. Most all of them are taking guidance from the lobbying arm of a conservative Texas-based think tank, which aims to upend homelessness policies that have had bipartisan support for two decades. Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/ecMdyBBw

📰Article Recap: Des Moines Delays Camping Ban Ordinance After Advocates Fight Back Advocates in Des Moines, Iowa, are fighting against a proposed camping ban that would penalize people experiencing homelessness for simply existing outdoors. Despite pushback, the city council is moving forward with the ordinance, which could soon become law. This effort reflects a national trend, as cities across the U.S. use criminalization instead of addressing the root causes of homelessness. In 2023, Des Moines saw an 11% rise in homelessness, with over 700 people affected on any given night—yet the city lacks sufficient shelter space. Advocates and local clergy are calling on officials to prioritize housing and dignity over punishment. At A Way Home America, we’re leading the charge to end youth homelessness through The New Deal—a bold policy proposal focused on transformative change, resources, and collaboration. Criminalizing homelessness only deepens the crisis. Our mission is to build systems that ensure everyone has a place to call home, and stories like this underscore the urgent need for action. Let's break the cycle. Together, we can push for sustainable solutions to combat youth homelessness. 🌍 🔗 Learn more about our New Deal to end youth homelessness: [AWayHomeAmerica.info] #EndYouthHomelessness #AWHA #HousingNotHandcuffs #AWHANewDeal

Housing and shelter are essential pillars of society, and having a safe place to sleep is a fundamental human need. We’re sorely disappointed that the Court today failed to recognize that locking someone up for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go is cruel and unusual punishment. The majority’s inability to see this as a violation of the Eighth Amendment misreads how inescapable homelessness has become for a record setting number of American families. Here’s what we know: homelessness is a direct result of a lack of affordable housing. And until we create and preserve more affordable homes, arrests and other phony fixes will only drive more people deeper into homelessness and despair.   Here’s the good news: We know what works. Placing individuals rapidly into a permanent home with supportive services is the most effective way of keeping them off the streets. As the nation’s largest affordable housing organization, Enterprise calls on our leaders to commit to real solutions. We won’t rest until we deploy smart, proven solutions to end homelessness in America as we know it. https://lnkd.in/eUPeG7v4

Muizenberg is a seaside, windy little town south of Cape Town and a place I call home. It's got lots of open spaces, a beach, a mountain and lots of shops and restaurants in a compact area. Like most suburbs in Cape Town, there are housed people and unhoused people that form part of the community. News landed today from our City of Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis: "...Geordin Hill-Lewis has announced the City’s approval of funding for another new Safe Space [homeless] shelter. The facility will serve the broader Muizenberg area..." https://lnkd.in/driycHKv Back in 2022 I was part of the Muizenberg Improvement District (MID) team that advocated to get the City of Cape Town to open up a Safe Space in Muizenberg. We negotiated for two potential city-owned sites to be considered for a 40 - 60 person safe space. A safe space is where an unhoused person can sleep a night inside a secure area, with food, water and access to ablution facilities. The MID had access to some funding and worked with both Mould Empower Serve and U-turn Homeless Ministries to establish how we'd get this thing off the ground followed by a operations plan to keep it sustainable and well managed. We finally got an offer for one of those sites and we begun the process of getting the residents of Muizenberg (both the housed and unhoused) informed so that they could have their say on how we should proceed. It was super early days in the whole process. Before we started the official public participation process we thought we'd start by having a public meeting to get a sense of what people were feeling as news had already begun to spread. These two articles sum it up: "Upset at site visits" https://lnkd.in/dTSAj4N3 and "Residents reject proposed site for homeless safe space" https://lnkd.in/dbmnR6jD. There was so much heat already and we hadn't really even begun. It had taken us almost two years just for the City of Cape Town to give us the green light on a piece of land and there were now lawsuits being prepared, threats I received on email and whatsapp and about 100 official email complaints sent to the ward counselor and this wasn't even in the public participation phase yet. The brakes were pulled, we lost momentum, the legal threats and personal threats put a significant halt on my enthusiasm and eventually the offer seemed to be withdrawn. We were back to square one! So this news that's come out today is a pleasant surprise that things are picking up again. I am no longer part of the MID and it seems that uTurn have managed to work directly with the City this time around which ultimately is a good thing. Lets hope the unhoused community finally get their safe space.

Sharing this Illinois Housing Development Authority #capital opportunity for the acquisition and development of #non-congregate shelter, #fixed site, #permanent shelter facilities in Illinois. Key dates: *Webinar: Wednesday, August 14 at 10:30am: https://lnkd.in/gEQMaB_g *Preliminary Project Assessment Due: Monday, October 7, 2024 *Final application Due: Thursday, February 20, 2025 Thrilled that Illinois Housing Development Authority continues to support emergency and transitional housing #facilities. Now, more than ever, shelter facilities are crucial spaces for our unhoused neighbors and so that housing operators and #nonprofits that serve them have access to permanent, fixed site assets for financial and operational sustainability. According to the Home Illinois Prevent and End Homelessness, emergency shelter is a key resource in the landscape of housing insecurity crisis interventions, and rightsizing emergency shelters is critical infrastructure in a homeless crisis response system continuum. Access to transitional housing is often the key to securing a permanent housing solution. IFF (CDFI) has been providing real estate solutions to emergency housing operators, community organizations and government partners, including #technical #assistance, #real estate #project management, one-on-one coaching, peer learning on topics like zoning, site control, community engagement, operations and occupancy expenses for fixed site shelter. By managing a #pipeline of projects, we also support the alignment of capital for projects, serving diverse populations, including new arrivals, justice-involved individuals and families for #nonprofit program and policy alignment for system wide change. Get in touch if you have a shelter project you are considering in Illinois!

🏡🌟 Bringing Hope to Our Streets: The Power of Community in Solving Homelessness 🌟🏡 Hey friends, Today, I want to shine a light on a pressing issue: homelessness in our community. It’s not just a statistic; it’s about real people facing real struggles every day. 🌆 But there’s hope! Organizations like the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS) are making incredible strides. They’re not just offering shelter; they’re providing a path to a better life with support services to help residents regain their independence. 🏠💪 https://lnkd.in/gjKfHqZN And let’s talk about the success story of Kitchener’s Tent City - a testament to what we can achieve when we come together. It’s more than just housing; it’s about creating a community where everyone feels valued and supported. 🤝❤️ As we explore solutions, let’s remember the importance of community involvement. Finding the right location for projects like these is crucial, and it’s something that impacts us all. Let’s work together, have meaningful discussions, and find solutions that benefit everyone. 🗣️👥 Let’s be the change we want to see in our neighborhoods. Let’s support initiatives like HATS and learn from successes like Kitchener’s. Together, we can tackle homelessness and build a community where everyone has a place to call home. 🌍🤗 👉 Get involved, stay informed, and let’s make a difference! #CommunitySupport #HamiltonTinyShelters #HomelessnessAwareness #TogetherForChange