City plans to assess programs for homeless.

Byline: Scott Maben The Register-Guard

Eugene has a long history of helping its homeless population, and city leaders are looking for ways to continue the effort.

The City Council approved a plan Wednesday to determine how to improve services for the homeless and near-homeless. Meanwhile, the federal government is cutting support for city efforts to provide low-income housing and other assistance.

An estimated 2,000 men, women and children are homeless in Eugene, according to social service agencies and shelters. The figure may be higher, but some who live on the streets go uncounted because they don't seek aid, officials say.

The thrust of the city's new homeless strategy is to build on successful programs, not necessarily to create new ones, said Angel Jones, executive director of the city's library, recreation and cultural services department.

"I don't know that we're planning to do anything new or different. We want to try to continue doing what works well," said Jones, who is leading the initiative.

Existing efforts date to 1967 and include a city-run land bank for affordable housing projects, subsidized rental housing, various shelters and day-use facilities, substance abuse services for homeless youths, and car camping in designated city parks and public parking lots.

Other approaches didn't work or didn't last. They included a homeless camp near Alton Baker Park, a proposed utility tax to fund housing and fight homelessness, and an ordinance allowing the homeless to camp in industrial areas of west Eugene.

"Because we have been working on this for so long, I think we have an advantage in that we're not having to create new and untested programs," Jones said. "We have a lot of tried and true programs, and we're sticking to those."

One of the first steps is to identify where the community falls short in helping the homeless. A shortage of affordable housing and too few jobs are major problems, Jones said. Also, homeless people struggle to get to shelters, health care providers, meal sites and other services scattered around the city, she said.

The city has learned of other unmet needs in the array of local homeless services, including shelters for those who speak Spanish; easy access to the library and to the Internet; programs that help prevent homelessness; and help for people diagnosed with multiple challenges, such as mental illness and drug addiction.

City Councilor Gary Pape said the city lacks the resources - human and financial - to fulfill all the needs.

"I hope we don't get so scattered that we don't get something done," Pape said.

The city either must find more money to address homeless issues or focus on the most acute problem, which is finding shelter for those on the streets, Councilor Bonny Bettman.

"People need a roof over their head when it's freezing out," Bettman said.

One agency that provides a variety of homeless services is the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County.

Terry McDonald, its executive director, said he applauds the city's attention to the problem while many communities are paying less attention to homelessness because of budget shortfalls.

But even with all the community does, the problem grows, McDonald said. He attributes the trend to wages not keeping pace with the cost of living, soaring housing costs and inadequate health care for the poor.

"We have dramatically lost ground in the past six years," he said.

McDonald said he'd like to see more drug and alcohol treatment, housing for homeless people with pets, and a health clinic to serve homeless and low-income patients.

Families with children are among the best served, while the mentally ill, addicts and single adults are the least served, he said.

Fewer federal dollars for homeless efforts may trickle down to the city next year. Just before Thanksgiving, a congressional committee approved a spending bill that reduces Community Development Block Grant and HOME program funding for 2006. Eugene receives about $1.6 million in CDBG funds and $800,000 in HOME funds annually.

The Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill includes more money, however, for homeless assistance programs. Lane County has applied for $2 million in HUD funding to support 15 local programs.