Homeless In Portland?

Question

For reasons beyond my control, in less than three days time, I am about to find myself in Portland without a pot to p**s in or a window to throw it out.

We have a little money saved up, my husband and I, but not enough to afford housing. Just enough to cover food and transportation for about a month. This was very sudden for us all!

The steps I have taken are:

1) I've called different shelters and I am on a couple of waiting lists. If it were just me, I would camp out at a park or something equally adventurous. But, we have a three year old with us that wouldn't do so well in Portland’s cold, so that is obviously out. I did look into cheap apartments and people needing roommates, in addition to extended stay hotels through Craig’s List and the Portland online newspaper. But without more money to start up with, I have just found it to be out of our income range at present moment.

2) I’ve also downloaded Health and Human Services forms for assistance with health care, food, and daycare needs. When I arrive, the first stop I plan on making is Portland’s downtown office to drop everything off and check out my options. I‘ve even located all necessary documentation into a very handy, extremely organized folder to make the interview process go as smoothly as possible. I’ve tried very hard to dot all of my i’s and cross all my t’s before we leave. (I am calling WIC tomorrow to set up an appoitment)

3) Still, I wasn’t able to give my job enough notice to transfer properly, so I am leaving without a job (although we‘re still on good terms). And my husbands job doesn’t even transfer at all (no matter how much they adore the man!). So, we have uploaded our resumes to Yahoo! Jobs, Monster.Com, and I’ve posted a couple of classifieds on MySpace. I’ve also been calling around to local businesses to see who is hiring and who is not. So, we are both looking for jobs right now.

Okay, so my question is this. Does anyone have any legitimate, factual information about options open to a family in my situation or things we can do now to possibly make this huge transition more productive? I stress the hard-facts-end of things, because I really don't need to have someone lecture me on why going is a bad idea or how stupid I am for making this kind of move.

I appreciate your opinions, but right now I really need something a little more concrete...

What I am hoping to find out is perhaps a step I’ve missed or an avenue of action that I haven’t even considered. If anyone knows anything pertinent about Portland that they might want to pass on, I would appreciate that as well. I’ve printed every map and gotten every number to the Public Transportation that I can get my hands on, but there’s much more that needs to be done!

Answer 1

I had my name on the list for every apt complex low income in portland for over 6 months and 2 years later, I still haven't heard anything. I do know the shelters are crammed fulled. Portland has a HUGE homeless problem and there are not enough places . I would check with WA.. it's 30 minutes from Portland. I seemed to have better luck there. They still have 4-6 month waiting list for apartments but their are not as many homeless there either and it's smaller ..

When you get there, go to the Police Station. tell them you are homeless, and they will help you find a place to stay.. I saw that on TV..it may be temp but they will usually give you a voucher for a motel until a spot opens up in a shelter especially since you have a kid. Once you are in a shelter, you wil immediately be eligible for emergency housing thru section 8 though it may still be 3-6 months.. the usual wait time is up to 10 years so that's a start..but you will have to be classified as homeless. My advice is to first thing: stop at the police station: they can guide you..get your emergency housing, food vouchers, direct you where you need to go.. go http://www.vhausa.com/  that's vancover. they have low income places on there not thru section 8.. GL

Answer 2

This question posted five days ago, so perhaps things have worked out for you by now, I trust that you got moved and settled in somewhere, there are many good caring people in Portland, even though they are in the same boat you are.Many do no have your education, organizational skills or a chance to change, it was just dumped on them. good luck

Answer 3

Have you check ed out the Housing Authority of Portland? They have affordable housing..

http://www.hapdx.org/options/affordapply...

Project Homeless connect will be having an event on August 22nd.

http://www.portlandhomelessconnect.com/

Have you contacted all your friends to let them know of the situation? Networking is your best tool to help you find a job and a new situation.

Good Luck. I wish you the best. I have been there before, just be thank ful you are not alone.  

Answer 4

I give you credit for really pursing and putting out the effort, I am so sorry for your plight, but admire what you have done so far to help yourself ...The emergency services I found, may or may not, be ones that you have already checked out....they are geared to getting  the homeless off the streets.

http://www.portlandonline.com/bhcd/index... - Cached

Rose Haven

[phone] - 116 NW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR

First Presbyterian Church

[phone] - 522 SW 13Th Ave, Portland, OR

St Francis Dining Hall - (1)

[phone] - 330 Se 11Th Ave, Portland, OR

http://www.homelessliberation.wordpress.... - 79k - Cached

Sincere best wishes that your situation improves, you are in my thoughts most of us have been where you are at, or wish that we were, sometimes a whole new change of scenery is just what we need, even when we do not realize it at the time..When the going gets tough, the tough get going.... thank you

Answer 5

Sounds like you covered all your bases, I would check into the "" or Salvation Army then you have an address and a base to work out of, until you ge ton your feet. best of luck to your family, check out the Churches. thxs