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ISSUE #34.24 • NEWS •
[POLITICS, SHUT UP & VOTE, POP QUIZ]

How many homeless people are in local shelters?


WW’s weekly election feature—designed to scare the hell out of City Hall candidates.

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BY COREY PEIN | 503-243-2122

[April 23rd, 2008]

This week’s question to the candidates for ex-Commissioner Erik Sten’s seat: In the most recent one-night head count in the city auditor’s report, how many homeless people were in Portland and Multnomah County shelters?

Nick Fish, labor lawyer and former Housing Authority commissioner: “I’m going to say 800.”

Ed Garren, therapist: “I’ll tell you flat out I don’t know, so why should I try to lie to you?”

Jim Middaugh, Sten’s chief of staff: “In shelters…I know how many we got off the street. [Long pause.] This is where you type ‘long pause.’ Five hundred.”

Fred Stewart, former real-estate agent and bar owner: “I’ve heard this figure before, but I can’t remember. I’m going to take a guess: 1,100.”

Harold Williams Two, youth counselor: “A thousand.”











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(Answer: Officials counted 3,018 people in Portland and Multnomah County shelters on Jan. 24, 2007.)

 

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RECENT COMMENTS ON “How many homeless people are in local shelters?”

1

Sally Erickson at Portland's Bureau of Housing and Community Development sends along a clarification regarding the one-night shelter count cited above, which we pulled from the City Auditor's annual &...

Corey Pein, Apr 23rd, 2008 12:05pm
2

A friend and I recently visited Portland on a weeks vacation. We were really taken aback to see so many homeless people. Not just in parks/under overpasses, by bridges, railroad tracks, etc., but pr...

Gloria, Oct 23rd, 2008 3:21pm
 
 
 





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