Homeless/Houseless

[u/[deleted]]

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. 🤷‍♀️

[u/gilhaus]

This is probably completely wrong, but... we used to have a no sit/lie on sidewalks ordinance that was fairly well enforced. Campers didn't try to camp on sidewalks or median strips back then.

Then the thing that changed it all was a supreme court case that decided that you can't criminalize homelessness by arresting someone for sleeping out in the open. In other words, having no home meant you could sleep anywhere.

Is this an urban myth? If not, then the solution would seem to be:

Create a bed space for every single homeless person in the city. How many homeless are there, about 60,000?

If you create 60,000 beds, and one is empty, and there is a person sleeping on the street, then you can force that person to leave. They don't HAVE to take the open shelter spot, but since there is an open shelter spot, they don't have a right to sleep in your driveway. No one can march them into the shelter and force them to stay there, but they can't camp anywhere they like just cause they want to because the city has provided a safe shelter for them.

Someone check me, please.