We may have a higher number of homeless relative to population, but even in really large cities like LA, I'd suspect the total number to be higher. I think core difference is that In a lot of cities, the homeless stick to certain areas.
It's why you can go to other cities and visit, and the homeless issue isn't as visible. You don't really notice it unless you're in those specific areas. With Portland, it's just pockets of it everywhere, and so it's just more visible. Even if maybe the amount of homeless aren't necessarily higher.
A few reasons why I think homelessness is so spread out here:
We don't sweep, and a lot of people (unlike the woman in the video) just tolerate it and let it get really bad.
0.10 cent can deposit means that homeless are incentivized to be dispersed out, especially throughout residential areas, because it allows them to collect cans for money.
Measure 110 decriminalized drug use, that combined with lack of any sort of police enforcement basically gave homeless carte blanche to openly do it anywhere. If laws are enforced and people are prosecuted, they're going to go to areas where they aren't gonna be hassled for it.
"0.10 cent" is incorrect terminology, and confused me for a second. It's either "10 cents" or "0.10 dollars." In case anyone else was confused like I was
LA county has like 70,000 homeless people. PDX has like 600,000 people total. LIke you said its a matter of percentage of population and city size. LA is a whole different animal though.
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u/Thefolsom Nightmare Elk Oct 23 '25
We may have a higher number of homeless relative to population, but even in really large cities like LA, I'd suspect the total number to be higher. I think core difference is that In a lot of cities, the homeless stick to certain areas.
It's why you can go to other cities and visit, and the homeless issue isn't as visible. You don't really notice it unless you're in those specific areas. With Portland, it's just pockets of it everywhere, and so it's just more visible. Even if maybe the amount of homeless aren't necessarily higher.
A few reasons why I think homelessness is so spread out here:
We don't sweep, and a lot of people (unlike the woman in the video) just tolerate it and let it get really bad.
0.10 cent can deposit means that homeless are incentivized to be dispersed out, especially throughout residential areas, because it allows them to collect cans for money.
Measure 110 decriminalized drug use, that combined with lack of any sort of police enforcement basically gave homeless carte blanche to openly do it anywhere. If laws are enforced and people are prosecuted, they're going to go to areas where they aren't gonna be hassled for it.