When temperatures drop, the City of Medford announces the opening of a severe weather, low-barrier warming shelter, and local news outlets quickly report it. Like many in our community, I am grateful whenever steps are taken to ensure people do not freeze during extreme weather. Preserving life should always matter. However, one line in the […]
For the third year in a row, Oregon remains under a declared Homeless State of Emergency. Each extension is justified by urgency, compassion, and the promise that staying the course will eventually produce results. In January 2023, Governor Tina Kotek declared the emergency, and it has since been extended multiple times under continued executive authority
Oregon’s Homeless State of Dependency Read More »
Articles, Government
True Charity has its share of amazing content on their website. This recent article puts words and data to what many of us already know—not because we read it in a report, but because we’ve lived it, seen it, and walked alongside people who are caught in it. Beyond the Welfare State is one of
Why Poverty Persists—and What Still Works Read More »
Effective Charity, Government
Why Oregon’s lawsuit misses the deeper issue When Oregon’s Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced on November 25th that our state—along with 20 other states—had filed suit against recent HUD policy changes, the language was urgent and alarming. According to the AG, HUD’s adjustments would “pull the rug out” from people experiencing homelessness and thrust tens
When Housing Becomes the Answer to Everything—and Solves Nothing Read More »
Government
Fifteen years ago, the federal government assured us that Housing First would end homelessness within a decade. Billions were invested, states restructured their systems, and communities like ours were told that permanent supportive housing — with no expectations for treatment or accountability — would be the silver bullet. Yet here we are in 2025, and
Fifteen Years After the Housing First Promise, Where Do We Go Now? Read More »
Government