VOTE411 Voter Guide

I’m running to be your County Commissioner to bring urgency and accountability to our emergency and safety net systems. The lingering challenges from the COVID pandemic and the surge in fentanyl and other drugs are threatening many in our community.

My top priorities are: Real solutions to prevent and manage homelessness Mental health and addiction services Community Safety

Our community deserves: Emergency services that provide essential care and respond quickly. Easy access to information regarding services for those in need or at risk. Efficient and accountable government that uses its resources effectively.

Facilities for mental health and addiction services need to be expanded in the locations they are most needed. Those in crisis need safe spaces to receive support. The County needs to adequately connect people with these services, and support the hard-working staff dedicated to providing care. I absolutely support and would prioritize re-establishing a sobering center, but if this is going to take up to two years as has been predicted, we need to be nimble and find solutions in the meantime. One example the county can follow is the work done by the Oregon Change Clinic.

A major element of addressing housing affordability includes creating opportunities for better jobs for the community. The County needs to prioritize its ability to create jobs, spur entrepreneurship, and facilitate bringing in federal funding that can support all elements related to alleviating the housing crisis.

We also must support those who are dealing with the housing crisis on the most direct level by ensuring the County is doing everything in its power to help those living on the streets. face an immediate need for an accurate count of shelter beds s power to help those living on the streets. face an immediate need for an accurate count of shelter beds so we can make this information readily available to first responders.

I want to focus county government on its core competencies: namely, public safety and infrastructure. These are things every county resident uses and needs. The roads, in particular, have been allowed to deteriorate over the past 15 years. This will require significant investment, but it is not optional. We cannot rely solely on road taxes for this.

My other priority is going back to the drawing board with our homeless situation, and re-evaluating the current approach. We must consider incentives and disincentives whenever we design a solution, and how they will affect the success or failure of the program.

I am glad that they decided to re-open the sobering center. It should never have been shut down in the first place. I think these programs are, in large part, tied into the homeless situation, and as I have said, the whole approach needs reexamination and reevaluation. Keep what works, reform or reengineer what isn't working.

I think the courts need a county facility that is not jail, but is similar in some ways, but dedicated to providing rehab for people who have committed serious crimes as a result of their addiction. We need to re-affirm the concept of shelter, as opposed to "housing first" which is unattainable and causes delays in helping people out of their immediate situation. We also need to find ways to discourage people from turning down shelter due to no-drug policies.

The County, City of Portland, Gresham Non-profit are housing allot of homeless people, including imagrants from other countries in temporary housing. This temporary housing I found out, has extended to 6 months to over a year in our homeless villages. The State of Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation is available to all resident's with a disability. As Commissioner I would love to hand out Vocational Training vouchers to the public, Mt. Hood Community Collage, PCC has Vocational Training, NW Collage of Construction hasa program. I have noticed every person housed are waiting for Direction. We also need more treatment/ Self help programs close to were people are housed. I am on public transportation everyday talking to the public.

I don't understand why the courrent Multnomah County Commissioner's are just housing people. I believe a the courrent board members are waiting for their term in office to end. I have no idea why the board of Commissioner do what they do.

The homeless solution is currently not working. Management is not moving forward with treatment and education. Residents in the small villages are not moving forward, because all the treatment program for addiction are full. People need more options. If the City ore the private contractors are not able to manage the homeless villages. The County needs to take over and over see the Management of the villages. The County needs more case workers finding education learning needs of everyone involved. Summer only tents, rotation to small houses vocational training for the disabled. Mental Health, education, case worker support helping everyone..