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December 2023Kana McAnallyIntroductionThe challenges of the housing crisis and lackof affordable housing are particularly drasticin Oregon. Over the years, Oregon has seenan increase in unsheltered houselessness -specifically a 63% increase over the past sixyears. As the United States population isgrowing, the nation is failing to build asufficient number of homes. Rachel Cohenfrom Vox News reports there are roughly18,000 individuals experiencinghouselessness and only about 5,200 year-round shelter beds to serve them. HOUSELESSNESS IN THE STATE CAPITOLEquitable Housing Provided by Church at the ParkIn the first six months of being in office,Governor Tina Kotek has prioritized housingand houselessness. She has declared a stateof emergency on the housing crisis anddirected state agencies to prioritize reducingunsheltered houselessness. While it is still too soon to say whether herideas and policies will achieve success, it is acrucial first step in combatting the crisis. In considering the perceived causes ofhouselessness, Kotek describes a plethora ofreasons, all of which are interrelated:Dejania Oliver, Statesman Journal “Maybe you started your unshelteredhomelessness because you lost your job, andyou’re traumatized by this experience. Soyou’re starting to develop a mental healthissue, you’re probably medicating with asubstance to stay awake...Then you develop asubstance issue.” It is crucial to understand that there is notone single reason as to why individualsbecome houseless - it is a far more complexissue with a multitude of contributingfactors. Kotek also signed a $200 million legislativepackage to help address Oregon’s housingand houselessness crisis.

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When residents are in opposition ofproposed developments in their local area, itis known as NIMBY, an acronym for “Not inMy Backyard”. “Not in My Backyard”-ismCohen asked Governor Kotek how shemanages to deal with this phenomena.Kotek credits fear as a primary reason. Oftentimes, residents feel as though the state isgoing to change the “aesthetics, the feel, thenature of their neighborhoods.”. However,the purpose of creating shelter sites ortransitional housing sites are to make thesecommunities more liveable so people canstay in the communities they want. Kotek believes that connecting throughpersonal stories helps individuals tounderstand that everyone can haveprosperity if we don’t let fear prevent us fromdoing so. Debunking Common Misconceptions Alcohol and drug abuse are theprimary causes of houselessness.1.This is false. As previously mentioned, thereare many factors that can affect anindividual’s housing status, such as a lack ofaffordable housing and employmentopportunities, mental health issues,traumatic experiences, and many more. 2. “Housing issues” and “houselessness” aretwo separate issues. Some people may think that houselessnessis not a housing problem but rather apersonal responsibility issue. However, this isfalse - even if all unsheltered individualsreceived all the resources they need, thereare not enough places for them to live in. 3. Houseless individuals could just get a job. One factor that many people do not realize isindividuals experiencing houselessness findit significantly more difficult to find a jobbecause they lack an address, ID, or birthcertificate. Shelter sites, such as Church atthe Park, assist unsheltered individuals infinding temporary and/or permanenthousing as well as the process of getting anID which enables them to find a job. “MY MESSAGE TOEVERYONE IS,SEE THE ENTIRESPECTRUM OFTHE ISSUE. DEALWITH THECOMPLEXITIESAND HAVE ASHORT-TERMAND LONG-TERMPLAN. BUT WEHAVE TO HELPPEOPLE RIGHTNOW WHO ARESUFFERING. ”TINA KOTEK

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Church at the ParkIn conducting this research, I began to thinkabout what organizations help address thehousing crisis and provide equitable housingsolutions. I learned about Church at the Parkfrom a friend who used to work at theorganization. Church at the Park offerssupport to unsheltered individuals byproviding opportunities for transitionalhousing through their micro-sheltercommunities. They believe in a diverseworkforce and inclusive workplace culturethat enhances their strive for equality andjustice in the way people are treated and theopportunities they have to succeed byworking to address barriers to inclusion. “A BANQUET OF LOVE ANDACCEPTANCE FOR THOSE WHONEED IT MOST”Before I discuss my meetings with Church atthe Park staff, I would like to point out thesignificance of their language, which canalso be identified as “code switching”.Feminist philosopher Lugones describes thisas an experience where an individual musttravel through “worlds of difference,unfamiliarity, or alienation as well as thecontrasting worlds of comfort, familiarity,and support by shifting codes from oneworld to the next.” ( Madison, p. 120-121). Their use of alternative terms is significantfor a number of reasons - the main one is thestigma surrounding the term “homeless”.When you describe an individual orcommunity as “homeless”, people have apreconceived notion. They might think thatthis means these individuals are dangerous,mentally unstable, or have substance abuseissues. The second reason is a reason that I hadnever considered before. This is somethingthat I learned during my meeting withKrystal De Ramos, executive assistant atChurch at the Park. She mentioned that anunsheltered individual may set up camp anda tent on a sidewalk, and they may considerthat their home so the term “homeless”would not describe their circumstances. Throughout my meeting with Krystal, Icaught myself slipping a few times andabout to say “homeless”. I recognize thatwhen we are only exposed to one term, weare more likely to continually use that term.However, in order to destigmatize thiscommunity, it is important to consciouslythink about our language and how it cancontribute to a negative perception, not onlyin reference to this community but othercommunities as well. People often refer to unsheltered individualsas “homeless”. This organization makes aconscious decision to refer to thiscommunity as “houseless”, “unsheltered”, orother alternative terms. Administrative Staff: Krystal DeRamosThroughout the course of my research, I metwith four staff members at Church at thePark: Krystal De Ramos, Heather Fife, ErinBenjamin, and John Marshall. As previously mentioned, Krystal De Ramosis the executive assistant at Church at thePark. Krystal and I met on October 26 at alocal coffee shop in downtown Salem. As webegan the interview, I asked Krystal howlong she has been with this organization aswell as what inspired her to join. Uponhearing this question, I could see that Krystalis incredibly passionate about her work aswell as this organization. She shared that shehas been with Church at the Park for twoyears now - she celebrated her two-yearanniversary in September!

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When describing her goals within thisorganization, Krystal focuses on “walkingalongside people”, rather than having asavior mentality. Her hopes are to humanizethis community and break down negativestigmas surrounding the houselesscommunity. When a guest registers tobecome a resident at a micro-shelter, Krystalhopes that they will gain or increase theirsense of belonging. Krystal originally began as a purchasingcoordinator then became the executiveassistant. Her responsibilities includeproviding admin support, event planning,and coordinating with volunteers anddonors, as well as various other tasks. Safe Parking Program: Heather Fifeand Erin BenjaminChurch at the Park has partnered with theCity of Salem in order to establish the SafeParking Program. The Safe Parking Networkis in partnership with local communities toprovide legal parking spaces on theirproperty for unsheltered individuals to stayin their vehicle overnight. Safe Parking sitesare established in collaboration with faithcommunities, businesses, non-profitorganizations, government offices, andprivate landowners. I conducted a joint interview on October 26with Erin Benjamin and Heather Fife whoboth work at the Safe Parking Programoffice on Portland Road. Heather has been with the organization forabout 8 months and came to thisorganization because Church at the Park’smission statement align with her beliefs. andshe values serving this population. Heather is responsible for casemanagement, which helps guests in goalsetting and working to meet those goals.Heather shared that some goals may looklike getting an ID or renewing their vehicleregistration - ultimately, the long-term goalis to get into permanent or temporaryhousing. When asked about how it feels to meet aguest coming to the Safe Parking Programfor the first time, both Heather and Erinexpressed a desire to help as much aspossible to any needs the guest(s) have inthat moment in time. Both Erin and Heather are fairly new to thisorganization. Erin has been with theorganization for about 10 months now. Shejoined this organization because she believesthis community needs consistent help.After our meeting, Heather gave me a brieftour of the Safe Parking Site. They provideamenities such as bathrooms and showers,and handicap-accessible bathrooms andshowers. They also have a community areawhere they have a TV, games, and manybooks, which are gained through donations.

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Pastor of Community Development:John MarshallThroughout all of my meetings, I asked thequestion: How do you care for yourself indoing, what I imagine to be, very emotionalwork? Each staff member shared similaranswers to this question. Church at the Park has a Spiritual Care Team,and each site has a chaplain. Before eachteam meeting, they do a centering exercisethat enables them to ground themselvesand share what has helped them whenengaging in self-care. They also shared that they are givengenerous paid time off (PTO) in order to carefor themselves, whether that be hiking,hanging out with friends and family, reading,or simply turning off their phones. Duringmy meeting with Krystal, she said: “We can’tcare for others if we don’t care for ourselves.”Caring for Self and OthersMy last interview was with Pastor ofCommunity Development, John Marshall.John and I met on November 1, and due totime constraints, we decided to meet overZoom. John has been with the organization foralmost four years now - he will becelebrating his four-year anniversary inJanuary of 2024! He became familiar withChurch at the Park after being invited tohelp with a winter warming project. He wasoriginally supposed to stay for only 3 months,but then COVID-19 happened and fundingbecame available for him to continueworking with this organization. During his senior year of undergraduateschool, John worked at a shelter site andinstantly knew that this was his passion, sowhen he was invited to become a part of thisorganization, it was really easy to say “yes”. John hopes that Church at the Park offersnot only emergency aid, but helping folksdevelop capacity to be successful for the restof their lives. Similar to Krystal’s “walk alongside”mentality, John hopes that they are able toidentify the barriers that are in front ofsomeone’s opportunity for success so thatthey can help to remove some, if not all, ofthose barriers. However, he believes it is theindividual’s responsibility to continue ontheir journey; Church at the Park simplyhelps them along the way. John’s responsibilities include supportingstaff development, communitydevelopment, as well as outreach initiatives. Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsAfter hearing about how Church at the Parkstaff care for themselves so they are able tocare for others, it made me think about ourfundamental and innate needs in life.Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is an idea inpsychology proposed by Americanpsychologist Abraham Maslow. TheHierarchy of Needs are as follows (rankedfrom bottom of the hierarchy upwards): Physiological 1.Safety2.Love and Belonging3.Esteem4.Self-Actualization5.The lower levels of the hierarchy must bemet before an individual can reach thehigher levels such as esteem and self-actualization (Rojas et al.) .

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The first and foremost factor that addressesfundamental needs is physiological. Thisincludes our basic human needs such asfood, water, warmth, and rest. Church at thePark helps to address the basic needs ofeach unsheltered individual who enters theirmicro-shelter communities by providingfood and water, as well as shelters.The second most important factor is safety.By providing unsheltered individuals with aplace to stay, Church at the Park providessecurity and stability. The third most important level of thehierarchy is love and belonging. This factorrelates back to Krystal’s idea of “walkingalongside” people. Often times, unshelteredindividuals come to this organizationwithout a sense of belonging and low self-esteem. By supporting these individuals intheir journey, this organization hopes toincrease their sense of belonging,independence, and confidence in theirabilities to succeed. Self-ActualizationEsteemLove & BelongingSafetyPhysiological The fourth level of the hierarchy is esteem.This includes our innate need for prestigeand feelings of accomplishment. Byhelping unsheltered individuals makeprogress towards the next best thing forthem, these individuals are gaining a senseof accomplishment and self-satisfaction. The last level of the hierarchy is self-actualization. This includes achieving one’sfull potential, including creative activities.As John mentioned during our interview,his goal is to help individuals developcapacity to be successful for the rest oftheir lives. As I mention later in thismagazine, Meg McNaughton’s “Crochetingat the Park” event helps individuals toachieve the creative aspect of this level.

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Crocheting at the Park: Meg McNaughtonThe first Willamette student interview Iconducted was on October 12 with MegMcNaughton, sophomore at WillametteUniversity and member of the Fabric, Yarn,and Textile Club on campus. During her firstsemester of freshman year, Meg applied forthe CAFES grant through Willamette. Usingthose funds, Meg created a collaborationwith Church at the Park called “Crochetingat the Park”. Meg first learned about Church at the Parkthrough another student organization thatshe is a part of called “Restorative JusticeCoalition”. This organization invited a guestspeaker, Sterling Kuno, who is a spiritual careleader at Church at the Park. Sterling invitedclub members to take a tour of Church atthe Park’s shelter sites which Meg decided todo. After Sterling and Meg connected, Sterlingmentioned a need for more communityevents which inspired Meg to create“Crocheting at the Park”. In the beginning stages of this collaboration,Meg had no expectations of how it would goor how many guests would join them; sheonly hoped it would help create a greatersense of community throughout the sheltersite. They began holding this event mid-Spring of 2023 and made it a weekly eventon Saturdays. When asked about the turnout for this event,Meg noted that most guests who joinedwere females, and they would often tell Megand other club members about theirpersonal stories - what they have beenthrough and how they got to the positionthey are currently in. This is a highly valuedaspect of Church at the Park; sharing theirstories helps to humanize this community. The storytelling aspect is something thatJohn also brought up during our interview.He mentioned that “Crocheting at the Park”has helped individuals with their sense ofbelonging, as this event has no agendaexcept to listen and create a strongerconnection through community. Shift Lead: Aidan TubbajiThe second student interview I conductedwas with Aidan Tubbaji who is a fourth-yearBusiness major. Aidan learned about Churchat the Park when he was applying for jobs onIndeed in February of 2021. Aidan began as a host at Church at the Parkwhich entailed walking around the shelter,ensuring everyone was following COVID-19protocols, as well as making sure everyonehad food and basic necessities. He then tookthe position of a receptionist where he wouldinput documents for wellness checks, takeattendance, as well as provide information toguests. Lastly, Aidan was a shift lead at thisorganization. This position entails overseeingthe whole shelter site. When I asked him the question: How did itmake you feel when you were helpingfamilies experiencing houselessness? Aidanexpressed that he would feel empathetic,especially towards the kids who were eitherclose to his age, or close to his siblings’ age.He also noted that it only takes one hard yearfor them to become houseless. When Aidan first began working at thisorganization, it was only a year after thepandemic. He saw the effects that thepandemic had on many families whichincluded job loss, financial issues, andultimately, houselessness.

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3. Rojas, Mariano, et al. “The hierarchy of needs empirical examination of Maslow’s theory and lessonsfor development.” World Development, vol. 165, 2023, pp. 1–3,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106185.2. Madison, D. Soyini. “Maria Lugones: Contemporary Ethics, Ethnography, and Loving Perception.”Critical Ethnography: Method, Ethics, and Performance, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA, 2020, pp. 120–121. Cohen, Rachel M. “Oregon’s Gov. Tina Kotek Opens up about the State’s Housing Crisis.” Vox News, 15June 2023, www.vox.com/23759086/oregon-homeless-housing-crisis-tina-kotek.1.ReferencesAuthor’s Note: First and foremost, I would like to thank allindividuals who were willing and able tomeet with me for the purposes of myproject. Initially, I knew what I wanted tofocus on and the audience I wanted to reach,but one of the things I struggled most withwas figuring out a format that would beaccessible to all students. Eventually, Idecided to create this digital magazine withthe hopes that students can utilize this as aresource for learning about the housingcrisis, how Church at the Park aidsunsheltered individuals in their journey, aswell as provide steps on how to volunteer. I was exposed to the houselessness issuefairly recently, and since moving to Oregon, Ihave met individuals who either haveexperienced houselessness or have friendsand family who are currently experiencinghouselessness. Often times, when we don’tunderstand something, we tend to fear it.There is nothing wrong with being afraid,but it’s important that we don’t let that feardictate how we perceive a community. The housing crisis is a much more complexissue that most people realize. If there is onething to take away from this magazine, it isto approach things with an open mind andempathy. If you are not in a position tovolunteer or donate, that is okay! If you canjust share this information with your friendsand/or family, that can have as much of animpact as you volunteering at thisorganization. Thank you for taking the time to read thismagazine, and I hope that you learnedsomething new! Sincerely,Kana McAnally