Dear Friends,
Today, the Portland City Ombudsman released a damning report about conditions at alternative shelters.
The report describes allegations of staff misconduct, unfair evictions from shelter, retaliation, unsafe conditions, and complaints that went unanswered.
It's disturbing. But what outrages me most is that people experiencing homelessness, service providers, and community members have been raising these concerns for years. And the people in charge have failed to act.
And while this report examines City-operated shelters, the problem extends far beyond them. People living and working in County-funded shelters have been raising similar concerns for years. The difference? The City at least investigated. The County hasn't even bothered to ask.
I know. Because I've been one of the people raising the alarm.
While serving as a county commissioner, I also volunteered as a street medicine provider. I cared for people living unsheltered. I listened to their stories while draining abscesses on sidewalks, tending wounds in tents, and witnessing suffering and despair that most policymakers never see.
And I shared their disbelief that people with the power to help seemed not to give a damn about what was actually happening.
At first, I simply told county leaders and staff at the Joint Office of Homeless Services what I was seeing. I assumed that if they knew, they would act.
They didn't.
So I spoke louder. I raised concerns with the county chair and successive leaders of the Joint Office, including Shannon Singleton, who is now running for county chair.
I proposed solutions through the budget process. I attended countless meetings. I challenged the spending, the lack of accountability, and the disconnect between what the county claimed was happening and what people were actually experiencing.
For my efforts, I was called negative, removed from committees, and sidelined.
Meanwhile, the county continued issuing glowing press releases, moving the goalposts for measuring success, and counting meetings and dollars spent as accomplishments.
Hundreds of millions of dollars were being spent. And the people those dollars were supposed to help were suffering.
Here's what makes today's report even more infuriating: Much of what it uncovered could have been identified years ago, at little cost.
One simple solution I proposed to city and county leaders was a "secret shopper" program. Send independent people into shelters. Talk to the residents. Observe conditions. Find out what's actually happening, not just what's being reported by contractors and administrators.
Then fix the problems.
It's not complicated. But it requires leadership that actually wants to know the truth and is bold enough to act on it.
You can't fix problems you refuse to look for.
And when you do find them, you have to act.
That's why I'm running.
Not because I want to be something. Because I want to DO something.
I have spent years connecting the dots between government policy and the people who live with its consequences. I've worked with experts and frontline providers to develop real solutions. And I've put those solutions into a comprehensive, actionable plan for turning our county around.
Now, with six days left in this election, voters face a choice.
My two opponents have served on the County Board for the past two years. Both talk about accountability and change. But look at their decisions.
Shannon Singleton previously led the County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services during a period of record spending and disastrous outcomes. She now criticizes the very programs and lack of accountability she oversaw. And she voted for a budget that will close thousands of shelter beds without a plan for where people will go.
Julia Brim-Edwards repeatedly voted to fund the county's failed deflection center to the tune of millions. She supported directing an extra $62.5 million into a system whose accountability failures had already been documented by the auditor. And she cast the deciding vote to hire a homeless services director whose previous system in Los Angeles is now facing severe controversy and federal investigation.
Both say they want change. But their actions have perpetuated the very system they now promise to fix.
And neither has presented a comprehensive plan for what they would do differently as chair.
I have.
A plan that starts with independent oversight, measurable outcomes, accountability for every dollar, and, above all, listening to the people our government exists to serve.
I believe leadership means telling the truth, even when it's uncomfortable. Speaking up, even when your voice shakes. And having the courage to act, even when doing so makes you unpopular with people in power.
I've done that. And I will continue to do it.
This election comes down to one question: Do we want to keep doing the same things and hoping for different results? Or are we finally ready to change how our county works?
If you want a chair who makes the connection between policy and people, I've demonstrated that commitment.
If you want a comprehensive plan, with clear priorities, timelines, and measurable results, I've done the work.
If you want a leader who will tell you the truth, hold people accountable, and act on what needs to be done, that's what I've spent my career doing.
I am running to do something, not be something.
And I am asking for your vote because we cannot afford another four years of the same.
If you haven't yet voted, you have six days to make a difference.
Vote for real change. Because more of the same should be unacceptable.
With determination and gratitude,
Sharon Meieran