ROSEBURG, Ore. — Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley addressed
the homeless in a town hall Saturday in Roseburg.
This comes after Governor Tina Kotek declared the homeless
crisis an emergency weeks ago.
Senator Merkley was at Umpqua Community College where he
spoke with the community about tackling the challenges of housing.
“Really, what we’re trying to do is to get funding to
the local area. To those who work with drug addiction, those who work with
mental health. Because it is the local action on the ground by people who know
the community, who have the partnership with volunteers to be able to really
have an impact,” said Merkley.
According to the Senator, homelessness is driven by three
primary factors: drug addiction, mental illness, and economic stress.
All three of these, he is looking to tackle.
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