July 2021 Virtual Display: Information and Support for Unhoused People
This virtual display exists to provide information and resources for unhoused people and people experiencing housing insecurity, along with articles about how to best provide support for unhoused people and learn about their experiences. Some of the resources are specific to Clark students and Clark County, while others are more general.
Check out some ebooks, videos, articles, and other digital resources at library.clark.edu.
Ebooks
Homelessness, Health, and Human Needs
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Hotel California: Housing the Crisis
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Indigenous Homelessness
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Reimagining Homelessness
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Rewriting Homeless Identity: Writing as Coping in an Urban Homeless Community
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Using Evidence to End Homelessness
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Outside Resources
Articles
Candace Avalos column at the Oregonian: Our unhoused neighbors deserve a safe and clean place to sleep
“Giving our unhoused community diverse housing options will not only help us solve the houselessness crisis, but it also gives people the dignity to choose a shelter option that fits their unique needs. While we work through the logistics that come with any major policy change, we must keep our eyes on the bigger picture. Having a safe and clean place to lay your head at night is a basic need that we all deserve, regardless of our income level or any other personal circumstances”
Natalie Orenstein at the Oaklandside: Homeless? Unhoused? Word choice matters when reporting on Oaklanders who don’t have permanent housing
“At The Oaklandside, we try to not make those decisions on our own, listening instead to community members about the language they feel reflects and represents them. Recently, I’ve been asking several of my sources on the homelessness beat—unhoused Oaklanders, people advocating for them, and people who belong to both groups—what they think about how they’re described in news reports. I’d like to share some of what I’ve heard, and how our newsroom is thinking about these issues.”
Nicholas Slayton at Architectural Digest: Time to Retire the Word ‘Homeless’ and Opt for ‘Houseless’ or ‘Unhoused’ Instead?
“The change is happening in part as governments move away from punitive measures amid a deepening housing crisis. Past efforts have not resolved the matter, and both policy and messaging are shifting. The word homeless has become inseparable from a “toxic narrative” that blames and demonizes people who are unhoused, according to Eve Garrow, homelessness policy analyst and advocate for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. The term is increasingly used in a way where it implies someone is dangerous or devious, she said. As a result, a less charged term is more apt.”
Christine Burne at Food Network: What Do Food Pantries Really Need Right Now?
“All that said, there are small things you can do to help bring healthy food to people who wouldn’t have it otherwise. You can volunteer at a food bank, deliver meals to those in need, or donate to a program that’s working to make healthy school lunches available to students whose schools aren’t open. Probably the easiest way to help is to donate healthy food to your local food pantry. But before you go packing up whatever canned goods you have lying around, read up on what food pantries actually need (and don’t need) right now.”
What Do People Experiencing Homelessness Need Most Besides Shelter?
“To experience homelessness isn’t just to lack a roof over your head. Unsheltered individuals live without the means to acquire the basic human comforts of warmth, health, safety, and cleanliness. Whether you’re gathering donations for a local shelter or looking to help a person on your block, consider some of the less-obvious things that many homeless report as essential needs.”
Do Good Multnomah: Why Do We Say “Houseless”?
“Houselessness is simply lacking a place to live. We use the term “houseless” because that is the term most of the population we serve chooses to use. We choose to listen to their preference and make the conscious effort to empower our participants in any way we can, which sometimes means adjusting our word choice.”
Resources
Clark County Resource Guide | Council For The Homeless
Outsiders Inn (Clark County, WA)
Penguin Pantry | Clark College
Resources By State – Ali Forney Center
Featured Image Photo Credit: OPB.org