August 18, 2004

Report From The Central City Concern Mayoral Debate

Candidates Discuss Homelessness

This evening at First Unitarian Church, Mayoral candidates Jim Francesconi and Tom Potter appeared in a forum on issues relating to homelessness, sponsored by Central City Concern. As always seems to be the case for forums such as this one, the church was overly-hot, but the forum was fairly well-attended. An informal "hands up" poll by the moderator indicated that around half of those in attendance had had some experience with homelessness themselves.

The forum was structured as a series of four questions for the candidates, preceded by personal stories told by four different people. Each candidate has the opportuntiy to answer each question and to make a closing statement. For our purposes here, much of our coverage will follow a form similar to that we used for the Mayoral and City Council candidates forum on arts and culture a few weeks back: Bullet points within which anything in quotes is directly from the candidate in question, and everything else is either a paraphrase or summation made by us.

If the [Multnomah County income tax] is repealed in November, will you include funding for Hooper [Detox Center] in the City's budget to ensure that this vital resource is not lost?

Jim Francesconi began by thanking the organizers for the format of including personal stories about homelessness.

• "Under any circumstances, as Mayor, I would not let the Hooper Detox Center close."
• He would sit down with the County, to prioritize.
• City and County officials would meet every thirty to sixty days.
• Turning to the City's general fund would be "a last resort."
• "We have to work together to make sure the [income tax] is not repealed." Not just for the $30 million in various human services, but for the $80 million for local schools.
• "We're all in this together."
• Maintaining the Hooper Detox Center is both "cost effective" and "the right thing to do."
• "My campaign consultant is actually leading the campaign" against the repeal of the income tax.

Tom Potter opened by saying he was "very proud and pleased to be here."

• "I remember as a young police officer before there was a Hooper Center, everyone picked up went to jail, period."
• It costs "$120 per day to house someone in jail" but "$60 per person" to have them in the Hooper Detox Center.
• "If you were a business person, would you say that keeping the Hooper Center open would be a very cost-effective thing to do?"
• If the income tax is repealed, what money there is will be spent "in the wrong places" (wrong for solving the issues at hand in the discussion).
• "My answer is unequivocably [that] I as Mayor will make sure that Hooper stays afloat, that Hooper is here thirty years from now."
• "If Portland is the livable city, it needs to be livable for everybody."

As mayor, how will you increase the availability of affordable housing for: Low income individuals and families, individuals in recovery, and individuals with special needs?

Tom Potter:

• "The first thing I would do is redefine the question about affordable housing."
• According to the Housing Authority of Portland, for every dollar that goes into affordable housing, $1.43 gets put back into the community.
• A child having to move from their school and home "decreases by 30% their ability to perform in school."
• Affordable housing is an economic development tool. "Affordable housing should be a strong component."
• "In the City of Portland, my commitment as Mayor is we will find the funding."
• If we can find a way to fund Major League Baseball, "where is the politicalw ill, where is the community will" to end homelessness? "I will bring the political will."
• Will use the "bully pulpit" of the Mayor's office to "remind those who have the means" about those who don't.
• "Together ... we can end homelessness in Portland, Oregon."
• Need a "new way of thinking about affordable housing." That "it's not a problem, it's an opportunity."

Jim Francesconi:

• "But the question was how are we going to do this as a community."
• Need a dedicated source of funding.
• The suburbs need to do their part as well, and a "regional solution" is needed.
• Wages. "Good paying jobs with health benefits."
• "Central City Concern has a good workforce program."
• Will "work with you to maintain the transit mall."
• It's "not just [about] low-income housing, but how to get people into economic mainstream."
• Portland Development Commission "needs to do more" about housing.
• We "need a new dedicated revenue source."
• There's currently "a 10 percent vacancy rate in many of our apartments right now."
• It is "my commitment to work with the private sector" to get homeless into those apartments.
• "We need a different President of the United States too, with different priorities."

Given the high cost of arresting and/or hospitalizing people for so-called Quality of Life crimes like the Anti-camping and Sit-Lie Ordinance, what steps would you take, as Mayor, to pursue other more cost-effective solutions?

Jim Francesconi:

• "We don't need any new sit-lie ordinance."
• Disagreement with Potter over camping. "I don't believe camping is a solution."
• "Dignity Village ... is not what we need." (That ellipsis was actually a description of how far away is Dignity Village from jobs, services, etc.)
• "What we need is more funding for these programs." (Meaning programs such as Central City Concern, one of the programs he mentioned by name.)
• Identify the programs that work.
• "Make sure there are pathways to employment."
• "Need safe places, especially for kids downtown."
• "We can't be a City that has the homeless youth problem we have now."
• "We don't need any new laws to do it."

Tom Potter:

• "My opponent is absolutely correct, we do disagree on some things."
• "I support Dignity Village."
• "I want to make sure those sixty to seventy folks have a roof over their heads at night."
• "My opponent says he saw rats out there. I haven't seen any rats out there."
• "We have to be open to new ideas, folks." Such as "giving control over to homeless people."
• Cited programs such as Dignity Village, Central City Concern, JOIN, and Transition Projects.
• "Add to the quality of life for all Portlanders."
• A homeless program in Philadelphia "has some value." (This program is covered in the current issue of streetroots.)
• We need to do a "better job at coordinating our outreach to homeless people." Such outreach should include "immediate housing vouchers" and a near-term follow-up to provide services.
• "I think it's time for regime change in Portland, Oregon."
• "Involve those who are most affected."
• The five people on City Council aren't people with all the answers, they are "five people up at City Hall who need your help ... particularly when it involves you personally."

(For what it's worth, we need to chastize both the people who drafted this question, and Francesconi. Repeat after me: There is no "sit-lie ordinance." There is only an "obstructions as nuisance" ordinance whose enforcement guidelines were revised to make use of it as a sit-lie ordinance. Every time someone insists upon using "sit-lie ordinance," politicians have a way of dodging the issue.)

Given the vast need for affordable housing in Portland, if elected, will you work with Oregon's Congressional delegation to maximize Portland's participation in, and receipt of funds from, the National Housing Trust Fund?

Jim Francesconi:

• "Yes."
• "We do need a national housing investment fund." Has already lobbed elected officials at other levels of government.
• "Need a regional funding strategy.""I've been working ... for thirty years" on the issue of poverty.
• "We need housing investment funds at all levels."
• "The best way we can do this is have you lobby." (This was a reference to the four people who told their personal stories.) "You tell your stories much more powerfully."

Tom Potter:

• "Let's face it folks. With the current administration in DC, we don't stand much chance of getting programs like this in Oregon."
• Current administratin's "cuts to Section 8 housing" are "totally unacceptable."
• As for the National Housing Trust Fund: "Yes, I support it."
• "I haven't been on the City Council for eight years, [but] to my knowledge ... no one at City Council has discussed this on a regional basis."

All of which led (after a intervening plea for people to get involved in defeating the repeal of the Multnomah County income tax) to the candidates' closing statements.

Tom Potter:

• "It's been a very warm evening. Not sure if it's the hot air coming from the stage, or what's outside."
• "Bring about change in Portland, Oregon."
• Stressed: "How we govern, how we treat those among us," and how we solve problems.
• "We need to come together as a community."
• "We need to support all those people" who don't have those things most of us do.
• "Those are things that should be the basic right of every citizen in Portland."
• Look at these issues (such as affordable housing) as opportunities, not problems.
• To do: Affordable housing, children's education, and "decriminalizing homelessness in the City of Portland."
• Need to be "more creative" and "open to new ideas."
• "Look for solutions in strange places."
• Message of the forum: "There are people who care about the issue of homelessness in Portland." Also "at least one candidate."

Jim Francesconi:

• There is a "deeper message" in the forum: "That you care about the broader community." (That being a reference to the homeless people present.)
• There is "one fundamental question" to be answered: "Are we or are we not still in this together?"
• Been fighting for thirty years.
• "I have a track record of building coalitions to do difficult things."
• Workforce training programs.
• "School is improtant for all of our kids."
• "Close the achivement gap which is based on poverty as well as race."
• "This isn't something I'm just talking about now, it's something I've been actively engaged in."
• Fifty percent of Central City Concern's staff have been homeless. "That is such a powerful message."
• As for Dignity Village: "These people are not getting into permanent housing, not getting into jobs."
• Work on "poverty strategy that means self-sufficiency." Change the stereotype.

Finally, see Betsy's personal perspectives on tonight's forum, in which she finally makes a determination and decides to support Potter.

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