Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Summer Lee recently unveiled a new plan for providing street medicine for unhoused individuals in multiple cities.
Announced last week, the bipartisan proposal is known as the DIRECT Care for the Homeless Act. With the potential bill, the state will have the Department of Health and Human Services form a pilot program that would give direct care services to unhoused individuals.
Applying to a variety of cities that have 150 unhoused individuals per every 100,000 citizens, the programs would focus primarily on providing mental health care and substance abuse care to help the citizens into stable homes. As the program advances, studies will be conducted to measure the effectiveness of direct care for unhoused individuals. The proposal will also encourage participation by medical students by pausing student loan payments and any interest that may be collected in the span of their service.
“In the country with the most billionaires on earth, every person deserves access to safe and stable housing,” said Rep. Lee per a statement. “Yet, at a time when housing costs are soaring in Western PA and across the country, almost all of us are just one crisis away from falling into the vicious cycle of homelessness, mental illness, substance use, and poverty–without access to health care treatment. We need to break this cycle.”
NEW: I just unveiled a bipartisan bill to address the homelessness crisis in Oregon and across the country.
— Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (@RepLCD) September 13, 2023
My proposal takes a different approach by expanding street medicine services to treat substance abuse and mental health disorders.
Learn more:https://t.co/MTJ63Dga3x pic.twitter.com/UxOLI4y7K4
The proposal comes amidst a housing crisis in Oregon as the number of unhoused individuals increased by 23% in the span of two years during the pandemic. As the state recorded a minimum of 18,000 individuals living on the street in a single night, one out of three of these unhoused individuals are victims of mental health issues and substance abuse.
Although they make up approximately 13% of the state’s population, Black Americans are amongst the demographics that are most affected by the state’s housing crisis. According to nonprofit Here Together Oregon, they make up more than 40% of the unhoused population living in Oregon.
Contributing to the high rates of unhoused Black Americans across Oregon and the rest of the U.S. is the lack of health care being provided to most Black Americans. Per the HHS, although the uninsured rate of Black Americans fell by 8% from 2011 to 2019, the rate is still higher than that of white Americans; while the rate for white Americans without insurance is 9%, the rate for Black Americans without insurance is higher at 12%. As the healthcare system continues to fail Black Americans, they’re unable to receive help for health issues, particularly mental health issues. Approximately 7 million out of the 46 million Black Americans have reported having a mental health issue.
Black Americans living below the poverty level specifically record higher rates of mental health issues, as they’re twice as likely to report distress. Despite this, only 37% of Black Americans receive mental health services, according to the latest information by the HHS.
“To tackle the homelessness crisis, I believe we need to take a different approach that breaks up the never-ending cycle of substance abuse, mental illness, and poverty,” said Rep. Chavez-DeRemer per a statement. “Unfortunately, we have failed to provide homeless individuals with the accessible and affordable health care treatment they need, with Oregon ranking last in addiction treatment accessibility.”
“The bipartisan Direct Care for the Homeless Act would take overdue action to provide care directly to the homeless, ultimately helping them transition into safe and stable housing,” she added.
