Klamath County, Oregon – Community members in Klamath County will soon be able to offer their thoughts and learn more about what is being done to fight homelessness. On Thursday, October 23, at 5:30 p.m., there will be a public Town Hall at the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) College Union Auditorium. The topic will be local homelessness.
The Klamath Basin Faith-based Council and the Healthy Klamath Network are putting on the event to start a conversation about how many homeless people there are in the area and how the community is responding. The Council wants to get information from residents, groups, and service providers to better understand what the community needs and what resources are available.
Several speakers from important groups will talk to the people who come. These groups include the Veterans Administration, the Gospel Mission, Klamath Lake Community Action Services, and Thrive Church’s Warming Shelter. After short talks, the audience will be able to ask questions and give their thoughts. The people in charge hope that the debate will help find both service gaps and chances for agencies to work together.
People who attend the Town Hall should leave with a better awareness of homelessness in the Klamath Basin, a list of local resources, and a network of people who want to help find answers. If you work for an organization that wants to set up a resource table at the event, you should get in touch with the Faith-based Council through the Klamath County Public Health office.
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Valeree Lane of the Healthy Klamath Network co-facilitated the Faith-based Council, which has talked about ongoing efforts to help those who don’t have permanent housing. Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services has established 20 pallet shelters that offer case management to help people move into permanent housing. Project Homefront turned an old motel into 29 sober-supportive units that offer inexpensive rent and on-site therapy for people who are coming back into society after being in jail.
Klamath & Lake Community Action Services and other partners help families with rent, utility bills, and move-in expenditures when they have the money. Integral Youth Services also helps homeless students and their families with transportation, supplies, and housing help through partnerships with local school districts. Thrive Church continues to run the community’s Warming Shelter in the winter, and the City of Klamath Falls’ Community Livability Team helps those who don’t have homes find services and deals with problems in the neighborhood.
As winter approaches, organizers say that input from the community is very important to making sure that programs stay coordinated and useful. The Town Hall is a start toward working together to solve problems and a shared commitment to ending homelessness in Klamath County.
