The Holiday Farm Fire has taken so much from our neighboring communities. It has burned down at least 430 homes and over 20 commercial buildings, according to The Register-Guard, leaving many with nowhere to go and no choice but to find shelter in Eugene where the air quality index was reaching extremely dangerous levels.
Several shelters sprang up, but too few weren’t open for overnight use. Some folks found shelter in hotels, but even that situation seemed tenuous, as many were told to vacate shortly after arrival. A decision which has since been reversed. 
It is unfortunate that so many lost their homes and communities, but we cannot forget the most vulnerable during this time: those experiencing homelessness. Nationwide, Eugene has one of the highest per capita population of the unhoused, according to data from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. For every 100,000 residents there are 432 people experiencing homelessness. During the fires, there were not many options for them to find safe shelter. The Expo Center operated as an overnight clean air shelter, but could only house 15 people at a time and required a referral from White Bird, according to The Register-Guard. 
An air quality index of over 300 is considered hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency, and being exposed to this air for over 24 hours qualifies as “emergency conditions.” The AQI in Eugene was well over the 300 range and even surpassed 700. Amy MacPherson, a public information officer from the California Air Resources board, told Grist that breathing in particles from the fires can increase the risk of asthma and heart attacks, as well as cardiac arrhythmias. 
With few clean air shelters came a great deal of stress on where to go. UO facilities would be a great place to house disaster evacuees. As a public university, UO has the power to open its doors and work to keep its community safe and healthy. There are many large, vacant buildings that could be put to good use, so why has the university stayed silent? 
The answer is obvious: The administration only wants to protect those that bring in financial gain to the university. UO had made it very clear that faculty, staff and students were the only ones allowed to find shelter, safety and clean air because they’re seen as financial assets that the school doesn’t want to lose.
Being a UO student, I’m no longer surprised by the school’s selfish choices when it comes to serving the community, but I am deeply disappointed. Access to clean air and shelter is not a privilege, but a human right. As a college town, the school is the epicenter of the city and has some of the best resources available to serve its community. 
The argument that there isn’t enough space in these buildings is completely invalid. Mackenzi V. Ní Flainn, an employee at Occupy Medical, told The Register-Guard: “We responded when COVID came out, we responded and we made shelters that were designed for these people to be safe during the pandemic. If nothing else, we should have learned already how to implement those things. The pandemic is not an excuse.”
Although she directed this towards the city of Eugene and its pushback on creating overnight shelters that could house more people, it’s relevant to the university. It’s been done before because of COVID-19, and it can be done again to provide safety to those who need it. 
UO also chose to blatantly ignore community members when they called upon the school to open its doors to those who needed shelter. There were campaigns on social media calling on the university to open its buildings. The university chose to not serve the community that serves them in so many ways and plays a major factor in the school’s financial gain. UO President Michael Schill chose to leave the community members in danger. 
I’m tired of this university always choosing capital gain over helping its community. What will Schill do when Eugene and surrounding communities face more inevitable natural disasters? Will he continue to choose to close UO’s doors and remain silent even when his own community demands safety and begs for help? Based on the lack of empathy he’s shown in the past weeks, it appears UO will always prioritize money over serving the community.
Editor’s note: This column initially identified Eugene as the American city with the highest rate of people experiencing homelessness. Eugene is one of, but not the, top cities in that regard. The error has been corrected.