-I have a poem, this one -I kind of wrote recently.

-This one's called -"Of Home Once Wished."

-(bike bell dinging) -(gentle music) -(cars humming) -Portland, known as the -City of Roses, -Bridge City, Rip City.

-A place where once -we were weird.

-Portland has also been -a city of dreams.

-Dreams binds us as humans, -the young and the aged.

-In life, there are many -paths we walk, -so many glorious things -for us to experience, -and yet there can be -many obstacles.

-But to belong, -be recognized and -seen for our worth, -!are great dreams of all people, -to a body beginning -to grow older, -there is a sense of urgency -for a door that locks.

-A home where one is -safe, dry, and dreaming.

-(gentle music continues) -Always we are dreaming.

-So... thank you.

-(gentle music continues) -(gentle music continues) -(gentle music continues) -(gentle music continues) -(gentle music continues) -(gentle music continues) -(gentle music continues) -(bus humming) -!- Portland is a gem of a city.

-It is sitting in one of -the most privileged real -!estate locations in the world.

-And for most of its history, -it has been magnetic -and drawn people to it.

-(bright music) -- In the Tri-County area, -we have had approximately -1 million people -!move to the region since 1990.

-We did not in fact pick -up the pace of housing -that we needed to -accommodate that growth.

-!For the average senior household -there are three census tracks -in the furthest northeastern -!portion of the city of Portland -where somebody could -afford to rent a home.

-In terms of buying a -home, there are no places -that are affordable for the -average senior household.

-- I would say it started -in the 1950s and '60s -by tearing down single -!residents occupancy apartments.

-We slowed down federal -investment in housing -in the '70s and '80s -and thereafter, -and we didn't build -nearly enough housing -for all the people who -wanted to live here.

-And you really start -to see strong increases -in rents and housing -prices during that period.

-(bright music continues) -We have a population in this -country and in this state -and in this city that is -getting older, -and so consequently the -homelessness population -is getting older with it.

-- This is the baby boomer -population.

-And as they continue to age, -we would expect to see -a growth there.

-What we wouldn't want to see, -!and what is a red flag for me, -is the number of those adults -who are living unsheltered -and experiencing homelessness -for the first time.

-Because it means that -we are not intervening -at a point where we could -be keeping people inside.

-!- Dating back to the New Deal, -we created public policies -to help older adults -like a social security.

-If you sort of follow their -rate of growth -and inflation over time -have not kept pace -with rent inflation or -house price inflation.

-So you've got a tension there -for people who have -arrived late in life, -that even if they have -saved some money, -some of them have -not saved enough -to be able to hold on -to their housing, -given the accelerated -price of rents.

-(somber music) -- I was born in -Jackson, Mississippi, -and I was born in '52.

-!So in '52, Jackson, Mississippi -was not the kind of place -that African Americans -wanted to grow up in, -so my parents, they took -the first train smoking -and they moved to -Portland, Oregon.

-Well, my dad, -he wasn't really around.

-My dad was an alcoholic, -my mom was a Christian, -so they didn't get along, -so he had to go his way -and we went our way.

-You know, some people -that had dads, -the dad would give them -money and stuff, -!but I didn't grow up like that.

-Yep, I graduated -in the class of '70.

-You guys wasn't even... -Were you guys born in '70?

-- No.

-- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-(everyone laughing) -- I didn't grow up with -a dad in my home -and I think it's really, -really important for a kid, -for any of us really.

-I think it's important to -have a dad in your home -rather than just a mom.

-(gentle music) -!I worked at a barber shop when -I was like seven years old.

-!When people got their hair cut, -I would brush their back off -!and make some money doing that.

-I shined their shoes if they -wanted their shoes shined, -they used to call me -Hustling Herb.

-I mean, I had a hustle -in me, and I really did.

-I met this guy and he -taught us how to sell candy, -!he had a speech and everything.

-I really took that like -a father's relationship.

-What I did, I went and -got my own candy crew -and I taught them how to do -!the same thing that I was doing -by knocking on the door, -it went around.

-"That's Hustling Herb right -there, That's Hustling Herb.

-!What's up, Hus?

What's up, Hus?"

-So anyway, that worked for -me really, really fine.

-So I mean, I grew up, -even though I grew up -without a dad in house, -I still grew up learning -how to be responsible -and learning how to do -things that kept me -having money and -stuff like that.

-Man, it was some good days, -some good old days, man.

-- My dad, he's been working -his whole life pretty much, -as far as I know.

-Yeah, Hustling Herb, I -believe he got that name -back when he was probably -a young teenager.

-I think he got his first -car when he was like 14.

-It runs in the family, it -runs in the family for sure.

-(both laughing) -She's gonna be excited.

-- I went to the program -and became a carpenter.

-I really started -spreading my hustle, -doing remodeling stuff, -I bought a house -that I remodeled it, -and the bank, -Wells Fargo was like, -"Hey, you know what, man, -you got this nice home, you -got all this equity in it.

-!You can get another little loan -and do some more -remodeling to it."

-But I didn't really see -the full picture.

-I don't know if you know -what a predatory loan is.

-And then I thought about it, -I said, -"Well, how much?

-What you trying to..." -They said, "Well, we can -give you a loan for $50,000.

-My payment went from $830 -a month, to $2,000 a month, -and I couldn't afford it.

-!When they put a foreclosure on -my house and took it from me, -!kind of threw me way off track.

-(somber music) -It's not a good feeling, man.

-To lose a house, man.

-A house, that's your -biggest investment -you gonna ever have really, -pretty much, -unless it's a big business -or something.

-But to lose a house, man, -it's pretty devastating, -so when I lost it, I stayed -with my sister for a while, -but I was getting high.

-I was getting high to -kill, pretty much to kill -the feeling about just -losing the house, man.

-(somber music continues) -- Like, if I had a word -to describe him.

-Id say gentle.

-- My kids, they gimme -life, man, they really do.

-They gimme life, -and I'm holding onto it.

-I know what it was like -not having a dad.

-I just told myself -that I'm gonna be the -best dad that I can be.

-My clean date is 11-16-17.

-That's my clean date, -and I got clean this time -and I just said, "No matter -what, I ain't going back."

-I joined the -No Matter What Club, -no matter what happens, -I'm not gonna go back.

-- He's just kind of slowed -down in his momentum.

-But I feel like that's just -how it goes as you get older.

-He doesn't need to be -over exerting himself.

-I've always seen -older people be wealthy.

-And so I always thought like, -"Yeah, once you get older, -you're gonna be -a wealthy person," -and then just to see -it's the opposite.

-(keys rattling) -- Phew, you know what?

Life -ain't getting no easier.

-!If anything it's getting tougher -- I feel like he should -be not still having -to go out and work, -and yeah, he has to.

-!It's not even if he wants to, -he has to.

-- I like to work, -it gives me life, -but it's hard to -keep a job at my age, -!it really is, so I'm just hoping -that I can keep my health to -where I can be healthy enough -to work and continue to be -able to be financially able -to take care of myself.

-A lot of these places -keep going up.

-They cost too much to -even afford to rent.

-!The lease will be up in October.

-It's kind of nerve wracking.

-!I need to come up with a plan.

-I need to come up with a plan -that will allow me to have -a place that I can call home -and not be in one of them -homeless camps.

-I dread day that that -might happen to me.

-I dread the day, because -I'm trying to stay -ahead of the game.

-(cars humming) -(somber music) -(somber music continues) -!- Growing up in New York City -was interesting.

-I grew up poor, I did -not grow up privileged.

-I was a fat kid.

-I was a shy kid.

-I was an introvert.

-I loved to read and draw -and that's pretty much -how I spent my days.

-I had a tumultuous childhood, -!a lot of stuff in the household.

-I was a natural dreamer too.

-My window looked out to the -George Washington Bridge -and I used to sit on my -window and watch the bridge -and look at it and know -that there was something -over the bridge, more.

-(somber music continues) -And did you say yes -on cream, though?

-- I'm good.

-- You're good, just the tea?

-- Yeah, just the tea.

-- Okay, -and then you won't need that.

-!But yeah, so this is you know, -home sweet home.

-(somber music continues) -I got to Portland in '99.

-I was in my later 30s.

-So I raised my kids here.

-It was a good city for that, -actually.

-It was 2015 and I was -with my second husband -!and all my kids have moved out -because they had grown up.

-And this was when all -of the landlords -were starting to notice -that they could charge more.

-So I went from $850 a month, -they wanted to charge me -$1,625 for the apartment.

-I just was floored.

-And I mean, my husband -had just lost his job -and hadn't gotten -another one yet.

-And it was all on me -to pay the bills.

-!And I mean, I had an okay job, -but certainly, -I couldn't pay the rent -and the utilities and, -and, and, and.

-We had a minivan and we -!thought we'll do that van life.

-And that worked out -for a couple years -until the day the city -of Portland towed my van.

-So there went my housing.

-So, and then I -started living in tents.

-And then I got back in, my -!addiction got ahold of me again, -and so I relapsed and there -I mired myself for a while.

-And like a plant, I put -my feet in the ground, -but I did not grow.

-So, yeah.

-(somber music continues) -So living in a tent, -what's it like, right?

-The longest camping trip -you've ever been on.

-The roughest camping -trip you've ever been on.

-The camping trip that you go -on and everything goes wrong -!and it rains the entire time, -and your tent leaks, -and everything you -own gets wet, -and you're cold.

-I get it, it's hard to think -!about your mom being homeless.

-It's hard to think -about your mom -living in a tent out here, -and some people think like, -"Oh, they should -have done more."

-Why?

They're grown children.

-They've got their own lives -to be periled by.

-They don't need to be periled -by my life, I'm a grownup.

-So I was grown-upping, -just not in a good way.

-I was really self-destructive -for a long time.

-!The hardest thing was being invi -!but being in everybody's face.

-You wear your homelessness.

-It's hard to explain that.

-Even though I -tried to dress nice, -somebody told me once -my hands gave it away -'cause they were dirty -or my fingernails were dirty -or something.

-You just don't have -the faucet to turn on.

-If you don't adapt, -you don't survive, -and I survive things.

-I survived my childhood, -I survived my first marriage, -I survived homelessness -and I was gonna continue -to survive homelessness.

-Just, you know, it was, -it was what it was.

-And then I lost my husband, -and that's when I decided I -!really need to be housed again.

-So, yeah.

-(somber music continues) -!It's hard to get housing, it's -really hard to get housing.

-It's not where you can -just go and say, -"Hey, I'm ready to be -housed, let's do it," right.

-It doesn't work that way.

-It's not streamlined, -it's not one organization, -and everybody has -a different criteria.

-I didn't score high enough -on their little test -they give you, -they ask you a -bunch of questions, -and apparently I didn't -score high enough -because I wasn't -needy enough, so yeah.

-(somber music continues) -(somber music continues) -Hope is so much more -than just a word.

-For some it's a lifeline.

-(somber music continues) -Ow.

-I don't know, it's just nice.

-It's just gonna be nice -to have a kitchen.

-It's gonna be nice -to bake biscuits.

-Even though I can bake -outside, but it's taxing, -but it's just gonna be nice -to have a freaking bathroom.

-!My God, is that gonna be nice.

-(somber music continues) -New Year's eve we -found one of my campers -that was in my campsite -passed away, he was 65.

-Nobody wants to grow old -in general, -definitely nobody wants -to grow old homeless.

-I didn't wanna die out here -in the end.

-I didn't want my kids -to find that out at all.

-And that really does -cross your mind.

-(somber music continues) -(cars humming) -(tram whining) -- A lot of people -have stereotypes -about people -experiencing homelessness.

-I certainly have -at times in my life.

-!And it's important to understand -!that we do not see homelessness -at the rates we do now -here in Portland, in places -that have more housing, -because the number one -driver for homelessness -is in fact the lack of -available affordable housing.

-- If you look at a map -of the United States -and see where the incidents, -the rate of homelessness -is the highest, -it is the highest where -!housing costs are the highest.

-!Housing is the primary driver.

-(somber music continues) -- It is unfortunately all -too possible to think, -"Well that would -never happen to me."

-Those people who are -experiencing homelessness -are somehow -fundamentally different.

-!And one thing that has struck me -with the older adults work -is that when we talk about -older people -experiencing homelessness -for the first time, -it puts this idea -in people's head -that it can happen to anyone.

-You can get to that age, -you can work, -you can even have a pension, -!but it's just not simply enough.

-I think it's easy to -sort of overgeneralize -!and say, "Oh, the baby boomers -!are quite a wealthy generation, -and they're sitting on a -mountain of home equity."

-Well, that is true for -some of the baby boomers, -but the ultimate expression -of the housing crisis -is the expanding number of -!older adults who are homeless, -who are unhoused, who can't -!make any of those options work.

-It's gone from cutting back -!on all these other necessities -to perhaps an -overcrowded situation, -perhaps a substandard house, -to no house.

-- So this guy's walking -along and he hears a voice, -and the voice says, "Hey, -buddy, can you help me out?"

-The guy looks around, -he doesn't see anything, -he doesn't see anybody, and -he is like, "That was weird."

-So he continues along -on his merry path, -and once again he hears, "Hey -buddy, can you help me out?"

-He looks around again, -he's like, "What is this?

-!Where's this voice coming from?"

-Then he looks and he looks -down, there's a frog there.

-He's like, "Oh, -did you just speak to me?"

-He says to the frog.

-And frog's like, -"Yeah, I was wondering -if you could help me out, -if you could just kiss me, -I would turn into -a beautiful woman -!and make love to you every night -and just make you the -happiest man in the world, -and you would have -riches beyond belief."

-The guy sits there and he -!contemplates this for a minute.

-He reaches down, -he grabs the frog, -puts the frog in his pocket, -and he starts to walk along.

-A couple minutes pass, -and the frog's like, -"Hey, buddy, -you never kissed me."

-And he says, "Well, at my age -it's more interesting -to have a talking frog."

-Ta-da.

(laughs) -Oh, I know I'm in the -same boat with women.

-!I'd rather have a talking frog -than a woman, any day, -guaranteed.

-(somber music) -I have to be positive.

-I mean, if you get laugh or -cry, which one do you pick?

-I'd pick the laughter, -thank you.

-(somber music continues) -My childhood... -My mom kind of stopped -really taking care of kids -at around age 10.

-!I kind of raised myself, really.

-My dad kind of drank a lot -and liked to destroy the -house for some reason.

-I don't know why, -and he beat on my mom.

-And I had to keep the -peace in the house a lot.

-Keep my sisters from harm.

-(somber music continues) -Books is what... -Books, reading, hold a -very, very dear place.

-And they saved my life.

-I mean, they just did.

-If I hadn't been reading -at that age, -I don't know the answer -to that, I don't know.

-They took me away.

-It got me to a place -where I was happy.

-(somber music continues) -I've made some vain attempts -!at trying to get into housing.

-I've never had any callbacks -to that, I wish that I would.

-I have not had one.

-It just seems like you get -on a list and you wait.

-I need a place so that I -can clean up and get a job, -!but I need a job to get a place.

-So it's kind of a -catch-22 really.

-And I don't think anybody's -really gotten a handle -on how to explain -to the housed people -why we're out here -and what the plight is.

-!They just don't understand it.

-They think we're out here -just 'cause we're lazy -or we don't wanna do -anything, or we're stupid, -or we're drug addicts, -or whatever.

-There's a lot more -to it than that.

-(crow squawking) -(distant cars humming) -I turned 63 four weeks ago.

-I mean, personally, -I feel like I'm 25.

-I mean, my body doesn't -exactly feel like it, -but I mean, mentally I do.

-People have started -calling me OG and old man -and asking friends -that I hang around, - "Why you hang around -with that old guy?

-It's starting to hit me -that I'm actually older.

-As soon as I -wake up in the morning, -!I have to go to the bathroom now -not 10 minutes from now, -15 minutes.

-I can't even lay in -bed and try to wake up.

-I have to get up, -gather my stuff and run.

-But it's like, I'm limping, -my knee hurts, my hip hurts.

-You're definitely older, -you're not the young chicken -that you were once, you know?

-Interesting.

-(somber music continues) -Open the door, -close the door, get in bed, -it's nice and comfy, it's -not hard like cement.

-It'd be very nice, it'd -be pretty, very nice.

-!And the bathroom's right there, -Right there, a bathroom?

-Boom, right there, I don't -have to worry about it.

-I don't have to run -a block or two blocks -and hit a bathroom wondering -if I'm gonna make it.

-(train whining) -(train continues whining) -(train screeching) -- You wanna ask again?

-- Yeah.

-At your age, -what's the hardest part -about living outside?

-- When you get sick, you -ain't got nobody to help you.

-Having nobody -and nowhere and nothing.

-It's very, very difficult.

-There's a lot of -predators out here, -and they pray on the weak -and the alone, and the old.

-(crows squawking) -!- It's very scary to be out here -and to be a woman of my age.

-!I need shelter, I need housing, -that's the bottom line.

-!- You get swept every week or so -so it's really hard to -set up anything permanent.

-You dont have a home, -how do you rest very well.

-I mean, you don't got a bed, -I mean what do you got, -you got a cot or a seat.

-!I'm just slipping through, I'm -slipping through the cracks -and I'm just getting by.

-(somber music continues) -(crows squawking) -!$200 is food stamps, $1,000 is -from the federal government.

-I can pay rent if it was $500 -but there is no $500 around.

-!- I can fall through the cracks -I think I don't wanna fall -through the cracks again.

-I've gone to the police and -asked them for vouchers.

-I've gone to -the homeless shelters -and asked them for vouchers.

-I can't get in, I can't -get my foot in the door.

-If I could get my foot in -the door and get a place.

-Just gimme a chance, -give me a chance, -!I deserve a chance, I deserve... -As do all of -the people out here, -I just want my chance.

-(cars humming) -- I don't know how much time -I have left on this planet.

-I don't see that many -old people out here.

-I mean, everybody else will -have their own thoughts, -"Well, they're old anyway.

-Get rid of 'em, -they're a burden."

-And they do think that, -I know they think that, -I've heard it.

-I like life so much, I -don't wanna leave this.

-I mean, it sucks sometimes -and it's painful sometimes, -but I do thoroughly enjoy it, -immensely.

-!Way down to my very core being, -!so I don't wanna give that up.

-I am extraordinarily -frightened of dying, -to the point some days -I don't even live -!because I'm too afraid of dying.

-(somber music continues) -I am frightened -to death of dying.

-Weird pun there, -but it's gonna happen.

-(somber music continues) -(somber music continues) -(somber music continues) -(distant chatter) -(somber music continues) -(somber music continues) -(somber music continues) -(somber music continues) -- This is a country that -should be judged -by the conditions of its -most vulnerable citizens.

-(somber music continues) -For all of us who can -witness the living conditions -of people who are homeless, -especially those who are -unsheltered homeless.

-If that's how this -society is being judged, -we are not doing well.

-(somber music continues) -There is no other crisis -that the public is saying -!is more important than this one.

-People interact, -they feel terrible -about the conditions -that they see, -and if we don't start -to move the needle -in a productive, -compassionate way, -I think you're gonna have -just an accelerating -distrust in government.

-- We don't do well by -our elders to start with -in a lot of parts of our -community in this country.

-And the idea that -we are allowing people -to age into homelessness -is deeply distressing.

-- Becoming homeless late in -!life, it ages you considerably -!and shortens longevity abruptly.

-So first and foremost, this -is a humanitarian crisis -for those who are -experiencing it.

-- It counters -the idea that retirement, -growing older, -is supposed to be a space -where you're enjoying a -different phase in your life.

-And instead you're -experiencing something -that no one -should ever experience.

-!We are limiting people's lives -by leaving people outside.

-(somber music continues) -(somber music continues) -(somber music continues) -(somber music continues) -(somber music continues) -(no audio) -(gentle music) -!- That private part of housing, -I think leads some people -to believe that -housing is your thing -and you should have figured -!this out when you were younger.

-!You should have invested better, -you should have -made a better choice.

-And it is not too late -to think of the public -good that is housing, -housing as a public good.

-- The long-term answer here -is to fix the housing market, -accelerate housing production -in every corner of the state.

-And especially a push -at the lower levels -!and the more affordable housing.

-!Really, in terms of an answer, -that is the only way we -get out of this crisis.

-- Our population projection -for the state of Oregon -requires that we build -550,000 units -in the next 20 years to -deal with our deficit -as well as the -new arrivals to Oregon.

-That is a lot of housing.

-(gentle music continues) -- While you are doing -that, you've got to work on -!the here and now and the crisis -that is right in front of us.

-So you have one group -that may have struggled -with homelessness for -much of their adult life, -and here they -still are struggling.

-They are likely to have -more severe needs.

-They may struggle -with behavioral health, -they are probably struggling -with substance abuse -disorders at higher rates, -!and you would need a more robust -permanent supportive housing -where you have a long-term -behavioral health -and substance abuse treatment -depending on what the -individual circumstances are.

-I think the other -typology are those -who've been stably housed -for much of their adult life -and now have -a shock in their life.

-That population, -I think, can be served -more with shallow subsidies.

-- The best intervention -!is to prevent the homelessness -from happening at all.

-- Much better prevention, -keeping people in their -housing to start with.

-- And it doesn't necessarily -take a whole lot to do that.

-There's a lot of talk about -shallow rent subsidies, -a little bit of extra -money every month -!can make such a huge difference.

-- Something that brings -down the cost of housing -from 50% or 60% -of their income now, -you bring it down to 40% or -maybe all the way down to 30% -to keep people -out of that status -and allow them to live -safe and healthy, -enjoyable lives -for as long as we can.

-(gentle music continues) -- Every single person -deserves basic human dignity.

-To sleep and sleep safely, -to rest, to eat, to be able -!to claim a space as their own.

-We can't do that -without housing.

-(keys rattling) -(feet shuffling) -- More sideways.

-- Yep.

Slowly.

-- [Mover] Yeah, very slow.

-(broom rustling) -- Close your eyes -and describe home for me.

-(Bronwyn laughing) -- You're sitting in it.

-I mean, I've only been in -my housing for three weeks, -and it's been eight years -since I've had a home, -and it was something that I -dare didn't even dream about, -!let alone think about, you know?

-(gentle guitar music) -!Section 8 is a federal program -and it's been 20 years -since it's last opened, -so they opened it up for -2,000 people to be accepted, -so they ran a lottery.

-So, and I did, I got a -voucher, one of 2,000.

-It feels like I'm one of the -lucky ones, that's what I am.

-I feel lucky, and I'm not one -!that has a lot of luck at all.

-!

(gentle guitar music continues) -(kettle whistling) -So the first night in, -the first thing I did -was turn the faucet on.

-Seriously, -I stood in the kitchen -and just turned the faucet -on, turned the faucet off, -turned on the faucet, turned -it all the way to the hot, -turned it all the way -to the cold, -turned it back to the hot, -turned it off.

-That was huge.

-That's something -as an unhoused person, -a housed person doesn't... -They have no concept, -that was so huge -that I could just turn a -faucet and I have water, -hot water, cold water, -just water.

-I can wash, -I can shower, I can cook.

-You think you're okay... -you're not, you just aren't.

-You think you are, -but you're not.

-And it's dumb stuff like that -that lets me know I'm not.

-So it'll take time.

-It'll just take time.

-Me and the kitties both.

-!

(gentle guitar music continues) -♪ I wanna fall asleep ♪ -!♪ Dreaming about easier things ♪ -♪ Hear the rain on the roof -instead of on me ♪ -♪ I'm a ghost out here -living unseen ♪ -♪ When I was at the cliff ♪ -♪ But I didn't know -until I fell off ♪ -♪ I was just like you -and now I'm not ♪ -♪ Working hard and then -it all went wrong ♪ -♪ Do you know how it -feels to be so far down ♪ -♪ Do you know how it -feels to be all alone ♪ -♪ Do you know how it feels -out here living on the edge ♪ -♪ Of lost ♪ -♪ Of lost ♪ -!

(gentle guitar music continues) -♪ I wanna be okay ♪ -♪ I'm tired of everything -coming unwound ♪ -♪ I walked all day to -make inches on the mile ♪ -♪ There's a mountain -!where there used to be a pile ♪ -♪ I got a good heart ♪ -♪ And it is bigger now that -it's been over the edge ♪ -♪ And it's breaking for the -ones the world forgets ♪ -♪ And it's praying now -for second chances ♪ -♪ Do you know how it -feels to be so far down ♪ -♪ Do you know how it -feels to be all alone ♪ -♪ Do you know how it feels -out here living on the edge ♪ -♪ Of lost ♪