The county’s Homeless Mobile Intake Team, specializing in services for the aging and disabled homeless population, has just snagged the 2024 USAging’s Aging Innovations Award, a nod to the agency's efforts in addressing homelessness with innovation and care.
The team, brought to life under Multnomah County's Department of County Human Services' Aging, Disability, and Veterans Services Division, offers on-the-street support, housing guidance, and medical aid facilitation for those grappling with the complexities of homelessness and aging, which is a multifaceted problem, made simple by the mobile nature of aid meeting people exactly where to stand or sit in their moments of need, sometimes when they can't charge your phone. "We bring Aging and Disabilities out to the streets, out literally to the people, which I love to do,” case manager Caitlin Lee told Multnomah County News.
The mobile approach helps eliminate the need for clients like Jeffrey Stevens, a 73-year-old musician and former founder of a community access channel who found himself without a home, to have all their documents in hand or to navigate government offices for assistance, according to Multnomah County. Cases like Stevens'met with services that come directly to shelters and streets where they're needed most, ensuring no one is left behind simply because the system is too daunting to navigate or simply because, they don't know where to start.
Since its inception in November 2022, the team has worked with 295 participants, with most between the ages of 61 and 80; this effort is crucial as the division serves around 50,000 Multnomah County residents, with the numbers indicating just how pressing the need for the team’s services is. USAging CEO Sandy Markwood noted that such initiatives "not only enhance the well-being of our aging population but also inspire others to strive for impactful and lasting change in their communities," as per Multnomah County, an outcome that seems to be materializing with each case the Homeless Mobile Intake Team touches.
