The homeless industrial complex is a jobs program for those with useless social service degrees. They've been taught clipboard empathy and PowerPoint skills, not the core problems that need solved nor HOW to solve them. The graph proves it: more homeless = more program money!
This is one of the best things I've read about the Portland homeless situation. And it's well written!
I think many people believe that this comprehensive outreach is happening already! There's no mention of this utter failure on the local news, where it's presented as an unsolvable, systemic problem.
Kevin's work is literally the only reason I know the services AREN'T happening. And I notice no one from these homeless services programs EVER dares to write a rebuttal to Kevin's posts (at least in my feed).
I wish Kevin could be in charge of our homeless programs.
Don’t you think that a housecleaning is in order after Kevin’s hundreds of interviews with homeless individuals who have never seen an outreach worker, or the ones who were approached once and promised help, and then never saw them again!
I’m pretty sure that Sharon Meieran will enlist Kevin’s help immediately if she is elected. I pray that both of them are given the responsibility for fixing Multnomah County, beginning with the homeless crisis that was given an Emergency Proclamation by the City in 2018!
The NGOs, which are making bank off these homeless people, have no incentive to get them off the street. This is a cottage industry fueled by money laundering progressives using taxpayer money.
Kevin, if we only had an army of people with your empathy, dedication and fearlessness I believe we could actually get results. More money has never been the answer, has it? Thank you for this Substack, and please keep it going.
IF YOU ARE PREVENTED FROM ILLEGALLY CAMPING AND ILLEGALLY LIVING ON THE SIDEWALKS YOU WILL EVENTUALLY BE REQUIRED TO ASK WHERE IT IS YOU CAN LEGALLY SLEEP.
This post rings completely true to those of us who have worked with the homeless in Portland. We have seen everything this author mentions hundreds, not a few, not dozens, but hundreds of times. The sad truth is that since I began trying to help the people living on our streets and in our bushes in 2018, nothing has changed. The same trash, the same used needles, the same tents, the same crimes are still as bad, and as widely found, although not always in the same places, as 8 years ago.
A reasonable leader responsible for solving these problems and returning our streets and parks to our children and our community, would be to issue directives to the first line managers assigned the task of finding solutions to these problems, to do just that, find solutions. This leader would require progress assessments monthly, and when the front line managers fail to meet the established goals, work with them individually to increase their performance, and then set a deadline for them to achieve the goals, and after that deadline has passed, to remove those who have failed from their place on the County’s payroll.
We need to demand this loudly, clearly, and frequently. We need to remove those elected officials who cannot manage these tasks from Office.
And most importantly, we must make sure that Dr. Sharon Meieran is elected as County Chair so she can put her plans into practice, and to “Fix Multnomah County”!
Well it could be worse. Some people would argue that they should just be euthanized. I’m not one of those people I assure you but people are thinking it.
The homeless industrial complex is a jobs program for those with useless social service degrees. They've been taught clipboard empathy and PowerPoint skills, not the core problems that need solved nor HOW to solve them. The graph proves it: more homeless = more program money!
This is one of the best things I've read about the Portland homeless situation. And it's well written!
I think many people believe that this comprehensive outreach is happening already! There's no mention of this utter failure on the local news, where it's presented as an unsolvable, systemic problem.
Kevin's work is literally the only reason I know the services AREN'T happening. And I notice no one from these homeless services programs EVER dares to write a rebuttal to Kevin's posts (at least in my feed).
I wish Kevin could be in charge of our homeless programs.
Don’t you think that a housecleaning is in order after Kevin’s hundreds of interviews with homeless individuals who have never seen an outreach worker, or the ones who were approached once and promised help, and then never saw them again!
I’m pretty sure that Sharon Meieran will enlist Kevin’s help immediately if she is elected. I pray that both of them are given the responsibility for fixing Multnomah County, beginning with the homeless crisis that was given an Emergency Proclamation by the City in 2018!
The NGOs, which are making bank off these homeless people, have no incentive to get them off the street. This is a cottage industry fueled by money laundering progressives using taxpayer money.
Kevin, if we only had an army of people with your empathy, dedication and fearlessness I believe we could actually get results. More money has never been the answer, has it? Thank you for this Substack, and please keep it going.
Well stated!
Truth hurts those who can see it, but the correct methods are not provided to help. so in fact, all hurt.
IF YOU ARE PREVENTED FROM ILLEGALLY CAMPING AND ILLEGALLY LIVING ON THE SIDEWALKS YOU WILL EVENTUALLY BE REQUIRED TO ASK WHERE IT IS YOU CAN LEGALLY SLEEP.
Frank, we already have the places you mention. What we critically don’t have is the leadership to begin the process of putting them into practice!
Vote for Dr. Meieran for County Chair, she has the answers and just needs our votes to place them in action.
Good article. Thanks.
This post rings completely true to those of us who have worked with the homeless in Portland. We have seen everything this author mentions hundreds, not a few, not dozens, but hundreds of times. The sad truth is that since I began trying to help the people living on our streets and in our bushes in 2018, nothing has changed. The same trash, the same used needles, the same tents, the same crimes are still as bad, and as widely found, although not always in the same places, as 8 years ago.
A reasonable leader responsible for solving these problems and returning our streets and parks to our children and our community, would be to issue directives to the first line managers assigned the task of finding solutions to these problems, to do just that, find solutions. This leader would require progress assessments monthly, and when the front line managers fail to meet the established goals, work with them individually to increase their performance, and then set a deadline for them to achieve the goals, and after that deadline has passed, to remove those who have failed from their place on the County’s payroll.
We need to demand this loudly, clearly, and frequently. We need to remove those elected officials who cannot manage these tasks from Office.
And most importantly, we must make sure that Dr. Sharon Meieran is elected as County Chair so she can put her plans into practice, and to “Fix Multnomah County”!
Well it could be worse. Some people would argue that they should just be euthanized. I’m not one of those people I assure you but people are thinking it.
What about night sweeps involving arrests, taking people away, throwing away belongings, and intimidation tactics?
If you want to understand why government works like it does, read this by bad cattitude:
https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/uninstalling-civilizational-middleware?r=jgyod&utm_medium=ios