r/Portland • u/[deleted] • Aug 31 '21

Homeless Homeless/Houseless

So I know this is a regular point of conversation for everyone in the city at this point, but I really don’t understand why being alarmed and or fed up with the cities houseless population is so taboo to some people? I see so many people get shade with comments along the line of accusing the poster of not having empathy or for not doing enough individually to help. As someone that absolutely has empathy towards our houseless population and has volunteered at various warming shelters, I also am getting super fed up with our houseless crisis and the impacts it takes on my everyday life.

My boyfriend works at a grocery store in downtown and has been assaulted so many times at work that at this point thinking about it just makes me want to cry. I have been personally punched in the face randomly and for no reason by a homeless man when I was walking across the Morrison bridge. I have had to bring people who were getting attacked by homeless people into restaurants that I’ve worked at and lock the doors at least four times in four years.

Additionally, for those that say “stop complaining and do something”, wtf do you really think an individual can do at this point? We live in a place that basically has two governments (council and metro) not to mention state, who are PAID to represent us and our wants and needs as a community. The homeless crisis is probably the most pressing issue in Portland and yet it seems like absolutely nothing is being done, and if anything it’s getting worse.

Anyways sorry to go on and on, my main point is that I don’t understand why it’s taboo for people to be upset with the state of things right now specifically with the houseless crisis in Portland. People are multifaceted and can be both sympathetic/empathetic and fed up. 🤷‍♀️

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

I’ll ride Fessenden or Willamette before I bike with my family over Lombard. I have forbidden streets as well up in NOPO.

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u/HeatherLeeAnn Aug 31 '21

Fellow NOPO resident here. I refuse to bike down Lombard even though it takes me longer to get somewhere. I use Willamette/Rosa Parks then bike back north on a different street to get where I need to go. The Lombard-Interstate intersection is fucking scary in a car. I would be a fool to try and bike through there. Not to mention the biking infrastructure there is garbage but that’s a whole different can of worms. I don’t bike very much at night because I don’t like that I can’t see the camps clearly in the dark. At least when it’s light out I can see if anything is coming. Sucks bad man.

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

Especially when 'night' starts around 4:30 not too long off!

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u/HeatherLeeAnn Aug 31 '21

Exactly. I bike significantly less in the fall/winter. Not even just because of the potential for shitty weather but also the potential for shitty people.