James Cook

Redmond, we need to talk about homelessness. We need an open and honest conversation that recognizes its impact on the lives of those experiencing it, and its impact on our community.

At 7 p.m. on Jan. 19, the community is invited to begin that conversation at Mountain View Fellowship. The church, which hosts our winter shelter and safe parking program, along with the recently opened Bethlehem Inn and the upcoming Redmond Shepherd’s House shelter, is representative of the effort already underway to break the cycle of homelessness in our community.

But we need to acknowledge that those efforts have been driven primarily by volunteers and nonprofits. And, while they enjoy the support of many in our community, they have also faced community opposition and a lack of support from city leadership.

If we are to avoid becoming like other cities that have faced and failed to address their growing homeless crisis, the time has come to recognize homelessness is not only a humanitarian issue to be addressed by volunteers and nonprofits, but also one that touches all aspects of our community life.

It affects:

Our economy, making it more difficult to attract new businesses.

Our elders, who are being driven into poverty and homelessness by rising housing costs.

Our youth, who are being priced out of our community.

Our safety, as law enforcement officers spend a disproportionate amount of their time and budget acting as de facto social workers, a job they neither desire nor are trained for.

Our health. Unhoused people often rely on emergency services for basic healthcare needs placing additional burden on our already stressed healthcare system.

Our quality of life. As homelessness becomes more visible our sense of pride and feeling of comfort in our community erodes and our bond as a community weakens.

The list goes on, but the point is clear. We cannot continue to say, “homelessness is someone else’s problem” and look to others for solutions.

Homelessness is everyone’s problem, and we can only forge real solutions by working together. To begin that conversation, representatives from nonprofits, law enforcement, economic development, the faith community, local government, and education are coming together.

They come with differing perspectives and motivations. Yet they respect the values and resources each brings to the table. They recognize the crisis we face and are willing to break out of their silos to find solutions. They are taking a leap of faith by daring to believe the community of Redmond working together, neighbor helping neighbor, can end homelessness.

They are beginning a conversation that will move to our city hall; our churches and meeting places; our businesses and homes. It will not be comfortable and the work that follows will not be easy. It will challenge each of us to accept our individual and communal responsibility to contribute to solutions and, through our words and actions, it will define what the community of Redmond becomes as we grow into the future.

The time has come. Redmond, let’s talk about homelessness.

Please come out Jan. 19 to ask questions and listen to the discussion. You will also be able to stream the discussion live at www.redmondspokesman.com and www.bendbulletin.com.