More Central Oregonians Homeless Longer

According to numbers released Tuesday by the Homeless Leadership Coalition, more Central Oregonians are staying homeless longer. One woman who has been homeless for six years said she wants the community to understand the struggles she and others face.

On the streets, one Bend woman goes by Liz. She spends many days on a street corner, hoping for a few dollars to get her through the day.

“The main issue is the economy right now,” Liz said. “The economy is bad, and it’s getting really worse.”

Liz is one of more than 2,100 people who are homeless in Central Oregon.

While the total number is down slightly from a year ago, the newly released numbers show that an increase in one troubling statistic: More than half of people who are homeless have been so for one year or longer.

Liz has suffered from medical issues and has had trouble finding and keeping jobs.

“I used to work fairly well, and now I’ve been out on the street, I think I’m going on my sixth year again,” said Liz.

While Liz holds her sign asking for help, there were several people talking about the kinds of troubles she’s facing Tuesday afternoon.

“I think although we might see a small decrease in the number of people counted, I think the need that these people have is increasing,” said Racheal Baker, co-chair of the Homeless Leadership Coalition.

The Homeless Leadership Coalition met with reporters Tuesday afternoon to announce the homeless count.

Even though there are a bit fewer homeless people than last year, more in the area staying on the streets longer.

“These figures help us to find out which populations we need to target, where we need to get money from, and it helps us generate resources into the community,” said Kenny LaPoint, co-chair of the Homeless Leadership Coalition. “We use the figures to apply for grants and funding.”

More senior citizens and those with disabilities are now homeless, the survey found.

Fewer children and veterans are on the streets compared to previous years, but officials say the amount is still unacceptable.

And for Liz, she says if people walked a mile in her shoes, the real impact of the numbers would show.

“I really don’t think they understand the concept, and I just want to trade them places,” Liz said.

There are many volunteer opportunities and support needed. To find out how to help address the homelessness population, visit www.cohomeless.org.