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Cops and Hippies

David Byrne

February 26, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Eugene, Oregon

The CAHOOTS program, which sends medics and counselors on certain 911 calls instead of the police, has become a national model in the wake of 2020's criminal-justice protests. But its roots reach back half a century, when a free medical clinic serving the hippie counterculture emerged as a public-health response to drug, mental health, and other non-violent emergencies. CAHOOTS has grown into a 24/7 service that saves Eugene millions in policing and medical spending, and saves many on the streets from unnecessarily punitive interactions with the police.

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How does Portland's Street Response Team compare with a similar program in Denver?

Dan Haggerty

February 24, 2021 |

KGW-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Although Eugene, Oregon's long-running, successful CAHOOTS program serves as one model for the new Portland Street Response, a more relevant model can be found in Denver's STAR program. Like CAHOOTS, STAR responds to mental-health and other crisis calls with medics and counselors rather than police officers. But Denver's size, demographics, and homelessness make it much more analogous to Portland. In STAR's first six months, it handled nearly 750 calls without a single arrest. Both STAR and PSR are starting small, so more resources are needed if the pilot projects succeed.

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The Tiny-House Village That's Changing Lives

Hannah Wallace

February 22, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

Agape Village, located on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon, is a housing community helping people in a state of homelessness get back on their feet. Although the cabins on the property lack plumbing and electricity, villagers are able to stay free of charge, receive weekly food pantry donations, as well as one-on-one monthly goal-setting from organizers. The aim of the community is to help transition villagers into permanent housing, but there is no limit to how long they can stay.

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3D-printed homes build hope for U.S. affordable housing

Carey L. Biron

February 15, 2021 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

A new technology is providing affordable and sustainable housing through a process that is faster and with material that is more resilient to natural disasters. 3D-printed houses are providing aesthetically pleasing houses that can be built in about 48 hours. 3D printing technology within the construction industry is “on the cusp on major expansion” and is making waves within the affordable housing sector.

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For People Who Experience Homelessness, Art Catalyzes Economic Mobility and Rewrites the Narrative

Claire Marie Porter

February 15, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

Arts From The Streets gives artists living with homelessness a path to economic mobility and housing stability by offering ways to make and sell their art. An annual show can bring in $100,000 in sales, 95% of which goes to the artists. The organization provides studio space, online marketing, and other sales channels. It's one of three programs or communities serving artists who are houseless profiled in this story. The others are MudGirls, an Atlantic City ceramic arts studio, and the thriving arts culture in Los Angeles' Skid Row neighborhood, which focuses on personal growth more than income.

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Hawaii Homeless Program Failed After Prosecutors And Police Wouldn't Play Ball

Christina Jedra

February 11, 2021 |

Honolulu Civil Beat |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Honolulu, Hawaii

LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) proved itself in Seattle as effective at addressing the underlying problems of people experiencing homelessness, by waiving their criminal charges if they accepted needed services. But the program's two-year test in Honolulu failed to gain traction because only some police bought into it, and the prosecutor's office never did. Instead of using criminal citations as leverage, the program was stripped down to an ordinary outreach effort, and managed to enroll only 50 people, not all of whom were helped. A new prosecutor and the police will make another go of it.

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The Coffee Shop Giving Homeless Youth a Chance at Success

Cinnamon Janzer

February 11, 2021 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

A coffee shop is employing young people experiencing homelessness. Employment at the coffee shop provides the stability and support they need to find and maintain housing. Income, structure, and skills gained from employment at the cafe are the springboard needed for the young adults to secure stability.

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Health care workers replaced Denver cops in handling hundreds of mental health and substance abuse cases — and officials say it saved lives

Li Cohen

February 06, 2021 |

CBS News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Denver's STAR program (Support Team Assisted Response) replaced police officers with health professionals on 748 calls for help. In incidents involving mental health, homelessness, and substance abuse, police backup was never needed, no one was arrested, and minor crises did not risk escalating into violence because of police presence. The six-month pilot project will expand to more parts of the city and more hours of the week, with an infusion of city money to supplement the private funding that got the program started.

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Denver successfully sent mental health professionals, not police, to hundreds of calls

Grace Hauck

February 06, 2021 |

USA Today |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

In its first six months, Denver's STAR program (Support Team Assistance Response) handled 748 emergency calls that in the past would have gone to the police or firefighters. Two-person teams of a medic and clinician helped people with personal crises related mainly to homelessness and mental illness. None of the calls required police involvement and no one was arrested. The city plans to spend more to expand the program, which is meant to prevent needless violence and incarceration from calls to the police that other types of first-responders can better address.

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Cleveland saw a decrease in unsheltered homelessness in 2020: Can that continue?

Conor Morris

February 03, 2021 |

FreshWater Cleveland |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

During 2020, the city of Cleveland reduced the rate of people experiencing homelessness by 30% due to provisions put in place to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Using eviction moratoriums for those at risk of losing their homes, and hotels for those who were unhoused, the agencies responding to homelessness along with the city and county were able to better engage with the community's needs.

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