June 9, 2011

"Nick Fish making progress in city's 25-year battle" 
Dave Lister's Op Ed in the Oregonian

On Fair Housing: "After his March release of an audit showing flagrant discrimination against people of color in Portland's housing market, City Commissioner Nick Fish was assailed with mean-spirited and undeserved criticism," Lister writes. "Rather than whine about it, he exhibited leadership and took action." Lister also comments on Bud Clark Commons, a one-of-a-kind center we cut the ribbon on last week. It was a challenging project: "Exhibiting the patience of Job," Lister writes, "Fish formed an unlikely coalition of the Portland Business Alliance, homeless advocates and neighborhood leaders to forge another tool in the battle on homelessness." We're very proud of the team whose hard work made this vision a reality.

"'Housing First' opens doors to humane solution"

Nick and PHB Director Margaret Van Vliet in the Portland Tribune

Bud Clark Commons is an example of the 'housing first' model, a proven and cost-effective way for people to move from the streets toward stability. In one day last year, they write, a Portland woman "racked up costs for a shelter bed, two calls involving two EMTs and four fire bureau personnel, two emergency room visits and a detox visit...if Bud Clark Commons can reduce residents' use of hospitals and such by just 25 percent (and we think we can do better than that), the building will have paid for itself in taxpayer savings within 10 years."