Accomplishments
A lot of people talk about affordable housing. As leader of Jefferson Westside Neighbors, I turned talk into action!
Ollie Court
Ollie Court is a 4-story 80-unit affordable housing complex and early learning center at 13th and Chambers. The JWN sought out Homes for Good and ran a successful public process that went from concept to approval in 13 months. When City Council approved the project, no one testified against it.
“The leadership from the JWN’s is humbling. I have never experienced neighborhood leaders that are so supportive of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing in particular. I am extremely thankful and am looking forward to delivering critically needed affordable housing in partnership with JWN.
-Jacob Fox | HOMES FOR GOOD | Executive Director | homesforgood.org
Keystone Apartments
Keystone Apartments provide permanent supportive housing at 13th and Tyler for families who are transitioning out of homelessness. I led the public process during COVID, establishing a Good Neighbor Agreement that has proved essential to working through the challenges of a new endeavor for Homes for Good. The learning curve has been steep for Homes for Good, for me, and for the neighbors. However, with good communication and mutual respect we are improving conditions and collaboratively creating solutions.
Homelessness: The JWN, along with West Eugene, is Ground Zero for this crisis, but also in forging Solutions
Advocating for Solutions
I have been a strong advocate for the city, county, and state meeting their obligations to address homelessness. Besides the moral imperative and the ethical catastrophe of having people living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions on the street, the impacts on residents, businesses, and our open spaces and environments is unacceptable. For the past 6 years, working with allies I have argued strongly for sanctioned camping, the only viable short-term solution. The county and the state are wholly responsible for housing the homeless, addiction, and mental health, and they need to step up. We must establish sanctioned camping for the enumerated number of homeless and then greatly restrict camping on our streets and open spaces. Living on the street is not a choice and should not be an option - the impacts on everyone are just too great.
West Eugene, which is predominantly low income and renters, has borne much of the load for our homeless crisis and should no longer be used as a sacrifice zone in the absence of government action.
Building Coalitions
In 2019/2020, I worked with White Bird and Oregon Law Center/Lane County Legal Aid on “Where Can People Go? City of Eugene Homeless Services Immediate Policy Recommendations” and gathered signatures from 21 service providers, 4 faith leaders, 2 businesses, 7 neighborhood associations, and 23 individuals and sent it to city council. Among the recommendations were the need for sanctioned camp site, removing the Eugene Police Department from first contact for camping, and alternative dispatch for non-EPD responses. This effort was the first attempt to unite different groups in finding common solutions.
Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce Business Leaders Task Force on Homelessness
The BLTF is group of local business leaders bringing private sector resources and support to public and nonprofit efforts to collectively end homelessness in our community. I was the only neighborhood leader invited to participate. I serve on the Data and Accountability committees. BLTF is a major effort and is largely responsible for bringing government, nonprofits, and business together on a single common plan to address our crisis.
Neighborhood Response to the Homeless Crisis during the COVID-19 Lock Down
The city of Eugene essentially abandoned the JWN as all controls on street camping were removed and a shelter established at Lane Events Center. The results was chaos - crime, trash, violence, and vandalism that trapped already quarantined and terrified neighbors in their homes. JWN board members and I worked overtime trying to help neighbors and get the city and county to take appropriate action to help both residents and the unhoused. To document what actually happened and make sure it became part of the public record, I compiled and submitted a detailed report:
Here is an excerpt from my report:
The goal is to address to the systemic problems of the Lane County and the city of Eugene’s actions and inaction in the hopes that (1) the mistakes made will not be repeated in a future emergency; (2) to improve Lane County and the city of Eugene’s process in altering strategy in a timely manner in response to changing events on the ground; (3) to point out the serious shortcomings of Lane County and the city of Eugene’s responses to homelessness; (4) to make decision-makers accountable for their actions and serious injury those actions inflicted on the residents of Jefferson Westside; and (5) illustrate how a policy intended to protect the homeless and the community by following CDC guidelines actually needlessly endangered both.
Infrastructure: Improving Infrastructure is complex and involves long lead times. Advocacy has delivered solid progress.
Sidewalks
The poor condition of our sidewalks has been a top issue for neighbors. Working with Ward 1 City Councilor Emily Semple, I have argued for solutions to our dangerously degraded pedestrian infrastructure since moving to Eugene in 2016. Injuries are common. People walk in the streets instead of on the sidewalks. Some people decide not to risk walking in their own neighborhood at all. Many of the sidewalks in Ward 1 are over 100 years old. While we love our big street trees, there was not much thought 120+ years ago about what tree roots might do to sidewalks. The JWN conducted several sidewalk surveys to assess the damage and engaged in countless hours of advocacy for improved sidewalks.
Currently, property owners are responsible for their sidewalks, but this can cost thousands of dollars that many neighbors simply cannot afford. We don't make property owners pay for the street in front of their homes for obvious reasons. If we are serious about active transportation and creating walkable neighborhoods, the city needs to step up.
Recently, through intense pressure from neighborhoods and cycling groups, Active Transportation was included in the last Street Bond Measure passed by voters. The city is in process of creating a plan. It will be massive undertaking.
My plan is for the city to start by creating a safe-transit corridor network around Eugene and for funds to be dedicated first to repair existing infrastructure before funding any system expansion.
Crosswalks and Traffic Calming
Improvements such as crosswalks and traffic calming require certain criteria be met, which means transportation and speed analysis as well as advocacy. As JWN Chair, I requested multiple studies on neighborhood streets and followed up with staff to get us in line for improvements, such as new planned crosswalks across Chambers, Polk, and W. 11th.
When a speed study on W. 8th Ave. made it eligible for traffic calming, I successfully advocated to get those improvements incorporated into the current street repaving project that include much needed curb extensions and a crosswalk at Van Buren by New Frontier Market and traffic pillows from Monroe to Garfield.
In upcoming W. 11th Ave. repaving the neighborhood has requested crosswalks where curb extensions are planned. Additional striping and yellow zones should reduce speeds and improve pedestrian safety. We still have a transportation analysis request in for W. 11th and W. 13th.
Public Health and Addiction
I led the public engagement on the Lane County Health and Human Services' Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) facility at W. 11th Ave. and Lawrence. There were initial neighbor concerns, including my own, of such a facility in the neighborhood and near Downtown Liquors. However, after learning about what these facilities do, who they serve, and the experiences around similar facilities, I was convinced we could safely do our part to help address the incredible need for treating those afflicted with substance abuse disorder. We set up a Good Neighbor Agreement and the MAT Clinic has proven to be an excellent addition to the neighborhood.
Parks and Open Space
JWN Parks
In 2016, as a JWN Board member, I developed a park-centric strategy for our neighborhood open spaces. Living near Monroe Park and learning from the experiences at Charnel Mulligan Park, I knew that parks have an outsized impact on neighbors. If parks are clean, green, and safe, then neighborhoods thrive. But if parks become overrun with criminal and anti-social activities, those negative impacts quickly move into surrounding neighborhoods. The park-centric strategy is based on encouraging formal Park Adoptions for every neighborhood park, dedicated listservs and webpages, as well as building good working relationships with Parks and Open Space staff and management, EPD, Parking Services, and Park Ambassadors.
Neighbor advocacy and thousands of volunteer hours led to improvements such as the "Honey Forever" mural at Charnel Mulligan Park, the creation of the Jefferson Park Dog Off Leash Area, and a new design and remodel of Lincoln School Park.
As lead for the Friends of Monroe Park group since 2016, I established 4 yearly work parties and spent 5 years in almost daily park trash and graffiti patrols. I successfully advocated for new lighting, extra and updated trash receptacles, a dog poop bag kiosk, and remodeled bathrooms. Two big wins were a 2-hour enforced parking zone on park frontage that has drastically reduced street camping and a temporary fence on Adams and W. Broadway to protect planting beds and discourage illegal and anti-social activities at the picnic tables.
Currently, I am working with Whiteaker Community Council leadership on organizing a group for the planned dog park at Washington Jefferson Park