Today’s City Club presentation focuses on Eugene’s growing unhoused population and what we can do to address the problem of homelessness. Speakers include Lise Stuart, Senior Management Analyst for Lane County Human Services Division; Shannon Smythe, LPC, Supportive Services Manager, Eugene Mission; and Kris McAllister, Assistant Director of Carry it Forward and former homeless representative of the Poverty and Homeless Board.

The 2019 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count Report on homelessness contains a grim reminder of the challenge of the un-sheltered facing the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area. The report indicates that there has been a rise of 32% in the total number of homeless from 2018. The 2,165 un-sheltered people include 841 chronically homeless, 197 veterans, 26 unaccompanied youth, and 84 families with children. The community’s response has been primarily temporary assistance as evidenced by 2,070 people who stayed at the Eugene Mission in 2018 and 1,537 individuals who were provided with a reprieve from the cold for 22 nights. The County and City received a report in March 2019 from the Technical Assistance Corporation (TAC) that outlines a number of recommendations. Many community organizations are also pursuing supportive services housing to address permanent needs and lobbying local government for additional assistance.

Lise Stuart will provide a summary of the findings in the PIT Report and the recommendations contained in TAC’s report. Shannon Smythe will outline social services available at the Eugene Mission to its occupants, while Kris McAllister will provide a grassroots perspective on the challenges and needs of the homelessness population.

City Club members get in free; public admission is $5.

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