Hunger, Homelessness and Food Security in Oregon
Excusing the hunger rate and homeless problems n Oregon does not do any service to the homeless and hungry. Oregon has a prevalent problem with hunger, food insecurity and homelessness. Dealing with these problems takes more than handouts and cigarettes. It takes a real social change that begins with accepting these issues as serious and pressing.
While things have improved in Oregon, they have not met the acceptable social standards we believe they have. Despite the gains in homeless rights, particularly in the establishment of Dignity Village, life is still difficult for homeless people. Even working families face difficulty in meeting basic needs like food, healthcare and decent housing. While hunger and food instability has decreased in Oregon over the past 10 years, it is still at an unacceptable level, even when compared to the national average. The Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP) (2003) reports that 4.3 percent of families in Oregon had at least one member of the family go hungry at times during the year and over 12 percent of working families experienced food instability. This is much higher than even the rest of the country, not to mention our owns expectations and goals. The national rate of at least one member of a family going hungry during a year is 3.4 percent. The situation in Oregon is far more significant. To express it numerically, the difference in people in families who are hungry in Oregon as compared to the rest of the country is 35,596 (Census Bureau, 2003). That is, there are 35,596 people in Oregon who are families experiencing hunger who would not experience hunger if Oregon’s rate was equal to the national rate.
Homelessness in Oregon is a problem as well. While Oregonians might be content with the visible signs of progress, such as fewer homeless people on the street and more news of shelters, there are still pressing problems. According to Oregon Housing & Community Services (2000), “Of [the] 8,840 seeking assistance on any given night, 2,144 were turned away due to lack of space or dollars to provide shelter. These turnaways included 794 children” (Oregon Housing & Community Services 2000, 2). That means that for every three people served, there was one person turned away for lack of space or funding and that out of the population of homeless people nine percent were children who were turned away from homeless shelters due to lack of space or funds. This is not a relativistic problem, this is a catastrophe.
It is going to take a lot more than quarters on the street to solve the problems facing Oregon in terms of food insecurity, hunger and homelessness. It will take a full-on social commitment to eliminate these problems at their root. The focus on these issues needs to be a community-wide one. Anything less will be a disservice to those in our community who are struggling.
Works Cited
Oregon Center for Public Policy (2003) “Hunger in Oregon Improves” http://www.ocpp.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?page=nr041119 (Accessed 06/30/05).
Oregon Housing & Community Services (2000) “Homelessness In Oregon” http://www.ohcs.oregon.gov/OHCS/docs/HomelessnessInOregonReport.pdf (Accessed 06/30/05).
United States Census Bureau (2003) Oregon Quick Facts. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/41000.html (Accessed 06/30/05).
While things have improved in Oregon, they have not met the acceptable social standards we believe they have. Despite the gains in homeless rights, particularly in the establishment of Dignity Village, life is still difficult for homeless people. Even working families face difficulty in meeting basic needs like food, healthcare and decent housing. While hunger and food instability has decreased in Oregon over the past 10 years, it is still at an unacceptable level, even when compared to the national average. The Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP) (2003) reports that 4.3 percent of families in Oregon had at least one member of the family go hungry at times during the year and over 12 percent of working families experienced food instability. This is much higher than even the rest of the country, not to mention our owns expectations and goals. The national rate of at least one member of a family going hungry during a year is 3.4 percent. The situation in Oregon is far more significant. To express it numerically, the difference in people in families who are hungry in Oregon as compared to the rest of the country is 35,596 (Census Bureau, 2003). That is, there are 35,596 people in Oregon who are families experiencing hunger who would not experience hunger if Oregon’s rate was equal to the national rate.
Homelessness in Oregon is a problem as well. While Oregonians might be content with the visible signs of progress, such as fewer homeless people on the street and more news of shelters, there are still pressing problems. According to Oregon Housing & Community Services (2000), “Of [the] 8,840 seeking assistance on any given night, 2,144 were turned away due to lack of space or dollars to provide shelter. These turnaways included 794 children” (Oregon Housing & Community Services 2000, 2). That means that for every three people served, there was one person turned away for lack of space or funding and that out of the population of homeless people nine percent were children who were turned away from homeless shelters due to lack of space or funds. This is not a relativistic problem, this is a catastrophe.
It is going to take a lot more than quarters on the street to solve the problems facing Oregon in terms of food insecurity, hunger and homelessness. It will take a full-on social commitment to eliminate these problems at their root. The focus on these issues needs to be a community-wide one. Anything less will be a disservice to those in our community who are struggling.
Works Cited
Oregon Center for Public Policy (2003) “Hunger in Oregon Improves” http://www.ocpp.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?page=nr041119 (Accessed 06/30/05).
Oregon Housing & Community Services (2000) “Homelessness In Oregon” http://www.ohcs.oregon.gov/OHCS/docs/HomelessnessInOregonReport.pdf (Accessed 06/30/05).
United States Census Bureau (2003) Oregon Quick Facts. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/41000.html (Accessed 06/30/05).
posted by Biafra27 at 2:23 AM
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