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just a form, it's a request to voters to take money out of property taxes and allocate it
for a specific thing. And you can have levies for parks, for schools, for libraries, for
all kinds of stuff. A housing levy would specifically raise funds for the housing bureau and they
cover 19 various tasks, whether it's building new affordable housing complexes, giving short
term rent and assistance to low income families, or it also does help people with counseling when
it comes to buying homes or helping to refinance mortgages, things like that. The city does a lot
of services. So I'm hoping that we are able to supplement what's going into the housing bureau.
Right now our bureau money in the housing bureau mostly comes from tax and commit financing. It's
about 60% of the entire 90 million dollars, that's where it comes from. And it's a really
unreliable source. The Portland Development Commission, they have a 30% set-aside policy when
it comes to affordable housing. And so it depends on how much we're developing and how much we're
getting from property taxes through urban renewal, depends on how much affordable housing we're
building. And it's not really a reliable mechanism. And it's not even a concrete one, considering that
it is a resolution that's not totally binding as law and it's mostly binding by moral code.
And so I believe that we need a housing levy to supplement what we have and have a true independent
source of revenue that we will be able to project accurately and rely on when it comes to housing
projects in the future. And my third resolution is about a moratorium on foreclosures. The Sheriff's
Office, they currently are the ones who enforce evictions that banks give when it comes to foreclosing
our properties when people can't pay their mortgages. And you know, back in 2009, the Obama
administration gave trillions of dollars to banks in order to get us out of this housing crisis.
And to this day, we still see large amounts of fraudulent loans, we see predatory lending,
we target people of color and poor families and giving them mortgages that can't be recalculated.
And just this year, the Obama administration and both the Oregon legislator, they've passed
resolutions, legislation that holds banks accountable. We now have our MRS system where
people can't be modifying their loans and both being in the foreclosure process. And so I believe
that we need a moratorium of one year on foreclosures in the city of or the county of Multnomah,
of the Multnomah County in order for us to have these policies take place and give people the
opportunity to get back on their feet. Has the city responded in any way? I have had a few conversations
with Commissioner Amanda Fritz. I am not receiving too much of an active response from elected officials.
This is day 15 of the hunger strike, right? So it's a little early for them to come out,
it seems like, huh? Probably. Your passion for others is quite inspiring. What drives your passion?
You know, I'm just aware that there's a multitude of things around me and just the world is
in chaos right now. And if somebody doesn't step up to reign it in, we're going to lose ourselves.
And I think it's just my concern that there's an impeding doom that I just can't watch happen.
And I take personal accountability for the welfare of humanity, knowing how at some places I've
been blessed so much and at other times, you know, I could have had a better life.
And keeping both those things in mind keeps me dedicated to using my intention in a way that
will broaden the perspective of others and try to bring together a collective of people
willing to work, you know, in tranquility and provide the basic essentials that we all need
for our survival in the future. How can people show support for you? I'm asking people to come down
and come talk and try to educate yourselves about the issues that we have and try to empower others
to come down or get online, read, you know, more articles about housing justice and also
communicate with, you know, elected officials in these areas because they only represent the people
who actually are willing to step up and be present. So I'd love for you to give a call
send an email to all the city commissioners and also call the sheriff. You can come down,
pick up some flyers, help pass the word and we're really trying to build awareness of, you know,
practical resolutions that, you know, we can talk about and it's only going to be successful if we
have public pressure. You know, I can't keep starving myself out here because it's not going
to be enough. They're not going to care about one young African-American male who's dying
on their doorstep. We need to see a wave of people saying that this really matters and we have to,
you know, get rid of our perception of homelessness and, you know, protecting the, you know, working
class and realize that there's a lot of people out there who are working or trying to find work
that aren't getting the, you know, attention that they need.
You're on a hunger strike for the homeless. Are you homeless?
I'm not on a hunger strike for the homeless and it's probably a
misperception that a lot of people have. I'm out here for housing justice for the entire
working class, the poor and the homeless. I have experienced chronic homelessness when I first
came into Portland. I am currently in a living situation that I am comfortable with so I don't
have to be out here right now and I've never had to sleep outside against my will and so it's really
important that people who are social workers or housing advocates, they really know from first
hand experience what it's like to be out here, you know, because before I read the articles,
I heard testimonies, I watched documentaries, but it's a completely different world once you
actually go there and try to live it for a little bit and it's something that I would never want
to wish on anybody you have to go through because it's just, it's a burden on your soul.
How long have you been with Occupy? I have been here since the very first March, October 6th.
I camped out in Chapman Square all 39 plus days and so I did a lot of organizing in many marches
and I helped with, you know, public relations and I couldn't, a lot of speeches and I participated
and facilitated a few workshops and general assemblies and whatnot and so I definitely
sacrificed a lot of my time and skills to help build the movement. I feel like
where I am now is a lot distant from where the Occupy movement itself is, you know,
I'm still out here with specific goals that I'm trying to achieve. I'm really trying to use
a venue that is much more receptive to the needs of the 99%.
What is the best thing you've seen from Occupy or by Occupy or what Occupy has done?
What's the best thing Occupy has done?
I would have to say the best thing probably was that very first March where we had 10,000 people
in the streets, you know, they were happy to be together and it was a day full of speeches and
inspiration and it was the first time we really started having the dialogue about, you know,
inequality and what we could do about it and that very first March is something that I hope
we're able to find ourselves doing again. What is your hopes for Occupy?
My hopes for Occupy is that it matures and it realizes that adaptation is the only means of
survival and that no matter how big a movement has been, it has to learn how to address the
externality of your environment and to act appropriately and I believe that's something
that still hasn't fully been able to achieve yet and so what happened in October isn't the same
as what needs to happen in the summer and I hope that people are able to
remotivate themselves to be involved and also to try a diversity of tactics that will bring more
people into whatever we choose to address in the future. What does America mean to you? America is
it's a country and it's a country with 300 million people in it. America is my home. I haven't left
at all. America, it's a culture of people who believe so much of individuality probably more
than any other place on this planet. You know, it's a strength for America and it's also a
downfall for America. America breaks my heart. I don't see apathy to such an extent in any other
place like you can see in America. People are driven to consume and they've forgotten the
foundation of how we came into existence. The values of education and freedom
don't mean as much to America as they used to. Cameron, is there anything that you would like
to say, whatever it is on your mind, that you would like people at home on the other end of this
camera to know how to get involved or anything that's on your mind? I'm struggling right now.
It's not easy to not eat. It's hard on my body but it's harder on my soul and it's not just
because I'm out here on a hunger strike because even though I know that I'm here in this space
right now, the change that needs to happen is nowhere close yet. We all have to find,
where it truly inspires us to be engaged and involved. You might find it from someone else,
you might find it inside yourself, but please try your hardest to find what inspires you because
I need you and the world needs you. We need each other and this isn't the beginning or the end.
We're somewhere in the middle and we need a little bit more push to get us to real fulfillment
and that's probably what I would have to say. Please don't let this just be a video to you.
Please let it be a motivation to learn and to engage and be at your truest potential.
Thank you camera. Thank you.
