The housing crisis is at an all time high here in Lane County. According to county information there are at least 9,600 homeless people living in the county, 35 percent of whom have been homeless for a year or longer. This is higher than the national average of 25 percent. We know it’s a problem, yet those who want it fixed do not want to be a part of the solution.
Many residents of Lane County do not want the housing to be built in their neighborhoods. I think that it’s time to take a stand. They are people and they need help. A big factor of their psychical health, mental health and addictions stem from not having a stable home or house to go to. This is costing us taxpayers as well as the government lots of money because we are responsible for the costs of when they go to the hospital or county jail. It would cost us less to provide them stable housing.
As those who are fortunate enough to be stable in housing and finances, we really need to be more empathetic to those in need. We need to allow these housing projects to be built in order to get these people off the streets and into a more comfortable and stable life. They need our support.
Jessica Lee
Springfield
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
Comments are closed.