Richie Weinman (revisited)

December 1998: Eugene Housing and Neighborhood Development manager Richie Weinman shows off Woodleaf Village, the new crown jewel of the city's low-income housing program. Thirty duplex homes, built by a non-profit developer, line a loop on the flank of Spencer Butte. "It's the first subsidized family housing in South Eugene," he says. "I went to a lot of neighborhood meetings." In 1974, when he first arrived in Eugene with an education degree from Ohio State, Weinman worked as a substitute teacher and sold Richie's Tropic Coolers at the Saturday Market. In seven years with county government and 14 with the city, he has specialized in poverty and housing issues. This year he worked with the city council on regulations allowing people to camp with permission in church parking lots. "Now people can help each other legally," he says. "Homeless people don't have to worry about being in violation of the law."
2011 update: For four years prior to his retirement last June, Weinman co-chaired Project Homeless Connect for Lane County, a one-day event that puts homeless people in contact with service providers. He returns as temporary staff to coordinate this year's PHC on March 17, 9am-3pm at the fairgrounds.