Homelessness in Our Region

Echo Fields, retired SOU professor of sociology, will join the Jefferson Center for a discussion of Homelessness in our Region. The discussion will focus on key issues relating to homelessness. These include: problems in gathering reliable data on the homeless population; how this information relates to stereotypes about homelessness arising from stigma, emotion, and punitive impulses; what needs to change in our social systems in order to implement solutions to homelessness; and what kinds of actions individuals and non-profit organizations might undertake.

Most everyone thinks that homelessness is a problem that must be solved, but there is little agreement as to what actions should be taken. The data we have, the research from social service providers, and the history of homelessness too often do not inform public policy. Any actual "solutions to homelessness" will take shape in intersecting social systems over the long term. Blaming and trying to change homeless individuals is unlikely to resolve the problem, and such approaches let "comfortable people" off the hook for the need for system changes. Changing these intersecting social systems takes time and requires collaboration among government, non-profit organizations and citizen volunteers. How do we get there?

Echo Fields serves as Chair of the Ashland Housing and Human Services Advisory Committee, and recently facilitated the subcommittee that prepared a comprehensive assessment of homeless services for Ashland at the City Council’s request The subcommittee’s report can be found on the city website at: ashlandoregon.gov/documentcenter/view/2244. She has also contributed to the current city policies and ordinance on activating severe weather shelters for extreme cold/heat/smoke conditions.

The program will be held in the Jefferson Center space, suite 101, in the Old Armory Building, 208 Oak St., in Ashland. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public. If you have questions, please contact Tony Davis (tonydavis0@gmail.com).