Final CBL Presentation for the Introduction to Civic Engagement course at Portland State University; examines the "A Home for Everyone" Coordinated Board meeting utilizing course materials and authors to reveal the issue of homelessness in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.

1. “A Home for Everyone”
Coordinated Board
meeting
Bud Clark Commons, 1st Floor Multipurpose Room
February 3, 2015
Final CBL Presentation
Nicole Jackson

2. Homelessness in Multnomah County, Oregon
Brink, B. The Oregonian. (2011). The Right2Dream Too Homeless Camp at W. Burnside and NW 4th Ave. [Photograph].
• In 2015, 3,800 people slept on the
streets, in shelter and in temporary
housing; while an estimated 12,000
people were doubled up, often in
overcrowded and unsafe conditions
(Kristina Smock Consulting, 2015, p.3).
• The City of Portland’s Mayor, Charlie
Hales, unveiled the Mayor’s Homeless
Initiative in August of 2015.
• Communities in Multnomah County cannot
rely on federal funding but instead, must
convene with each other to facilitate the
necessary support and resources in order
to change the current situation.

3. Framing the Issue for Democratic Deliberation
Coordinated Board members demonstrate Friendman’s nonpartisan framing-for-
deliberation via the inclusion of progress reports of workgroups/subcommittees, an
annual presentation on the population inflow study, and forming a separate Data &
Evaluation Committee. These implementations represent Friedman’s recommended
combination of robust, diverse honest framing-to-persuade coupled with a good dose
of framing-for-deliberation, giving the public the ability to sort through the arguments
and solutions so as to determine where they themselves stand on issues (2000, p. 5).

4. Schoolmaster, S. (2011). Bud Clark Commons; Multipurpose Room. [Photograph].
• The meeting was held on February 3,
2016 at the Bud Clark Commons at 650
NW Irving Street in Portland, Oregon.
• A large, well-lit, and aesthetically
pleasing multipurpose room was arranged
to seat roughly 100 people. Chairs and
tables reserved specifically for board
members were organized in a rectangular
shape, with microphones and agendas
dotting each table so as to ensure
member audibility and preparedness. An
area for refreshments was situated
adjacent to several more chairs arranged
in rows, promoting a relaxed and
hospitable environment.
Coordinated Board Meeting Specifics

5. Communication and Leadership Styles at Play
Lappé’s Ten
Practical Arts of
Democracy
•Public dialogue
•Active listening
Covey’s Empathic
Listening
•Individuals on the
board/audience relate
directly to the issue of
homelessness because
they, or somebody they
know, have lived
without shelter.
Rosenberg’s
Theory of
Nonviolent
Communication
•Development and
proposal of a local HUD
definition
Authentic/Shared
Leadership
•Initiative director
•Skilled team members
collectively lead each
other
Participative
Leadership
•Most common
leadership style
•Members deliberate
and propose changes to
policy

6. Organizations and Nonprofits Serving Homelessness in
Multnomah County
Collectively, these organizations use the following social media outlets to communicate their objectives with the public:

7. Institutional Levels Focusing on Homelessness
Federal
United States
Interagency
Council on
Homelessness
National
Coalition for
Homeless
Veterans
U.S.
Department
of Housing
and Urban
Development
State
Oregon Helps
State
Homeless
Assistance
Program
(SHAP)
County
Portland Housing Bureau “A Home for Everyone”
The public
policy process
enables these
agencies to
continue to
supply the
demand for
their services.

8. “Tipping” the Issue Utilizing Gladwell’s Theories
The Three Rules of
Epidemics
The Law of the Few
The Stickiness
Factor
The Power of
Context
Gladwell states, “It only
takes the smallest of
changes to shatter an
epidemic’s equilibrium” (p.
21). Adjustments in the
current housing market
paired with The Great
Recession, as well as
inequality and poverty have
collectively contributed to
the problem of
homelessness. Thus,
incorporating the equality
lens in all procedural
aspects may cause the issue
to tip.
Many of the Coordinated
Board members are what
Gladwell describes as
“Connectors” who, for one
reason or another, manage
to occupy many different
worlds and subcultures and
niches” (p. 56). Member
Jules Bailey is a great
example—He is a county
commissioner, former
Oregon House
Representative for inner SE
and NE Portland and
current mayoral candidate.
Still, to tip the issue of
homelessness, it is
imperative to include
individuals with unique and
separate social capital.
At each meeting, a clip-
board is passed around the
audience to take
attendance and collect e-
mail addresses. “A Home
for Everyone” sends out an
agenda one week prior to
the meeting as a means to
remind and invite people.
Though a superficially good
idea, the information could
be packaged in a better
way—one that engages,
interests, and excites the
public. A short YouTube clip
or meme is a good way to
intrigue and attract people
to participate. More often
than not, an epidemic’s
seemingly trivial ideas or
messages are what makes
them sticky (p. 109).
Gladwell notes that, “The
impetus to engage in a
certain kind of behavior is
not coming from a certain
kind of person but from a
feature of the
environment” (p. 162).
Thus, the Coordinated
Board can propose
legislation that introduces
more subsidized housing
and funds for those seeking
shelter. Furthermore,
facilitating more resources
such as education, job
training and healthcare will
theoretically tip the issue
and as a result, change
Portland’s environment.

9. Christian Columbres Photography (2012). Bud Clark Commons; Dusk view from SW. [Photograph].
Concluding Thoughts
Moving forward, a local addition to the HUD homeless definition will be decided
so as to widen the spectrum of individuals served. Furthermore, the board’s
Community Program Guidelines draft will be finalized which will determine
shelter and program operating standards, as well as execute new infrastructure
to support and sustain homeless programs through the upcoming years.