From City Hall I constantly hear Portlanders rank homelessness as Portland’s number one problem. I agree. Too many Portlanders are living on the streets in unauthorized camps.

End unsheltered camping
Leaving our neighbors to live on the streets in unauthorized camps, as we have been for years, is not a viable option. The camps are not safe for those living there – and are consistently the source of violence, sexual trafficking, traffic-related fatalities, theft, environmental harm, and fires. Allowing the camps to persist only prolongs mass suffering while increasing the burden on our already overburdened emergency response system.

Meanwhile, the community impact for allowing the camps to persist is just too high. We need to keep our sidewalks clear for all Portlanders, especially the young, the old, and the disabled. We need to keep our small businesses clear, so that our entrepreneurs are given the opportunity to thrive. The camps discourage outside investment and choke out existing businesses. Unsanctioned camping is driving people to leave Portland, which reduces our tax revenue, which reduces our ability to provide services.

Provide shelter for all Portlanders
To enforce a No Camping Ban, we need to provide our homeless neighbors with a humane alternative. The TASS and Safe Rest Village sites work. Residents are given their own space, with four walls, along with access to laundry, community, and most importantly, drug and mental health treatment services. The TASS and SRV model has proven itself as a pipeline to more permanent housing.

The problem with TASS/SRV is the scale and the cost. We need to scale up with more urgency. We need to find more locations And while the model is expensive, the investment is worthwhile.

Acknowledge the need for drug/mental health treatment
Portlanders have a tendency to speak about affordable housing as the cure-all for our homelessness crisis. And yes, affordable housing would get some Portlanders off the streets, and prevent others from ever becoming homeless in the first place. But we need to acknowledge the role of drug addiction and untreated mental illness in our homelessness crisis. Fentanyl and methamphetamine addiction has hindered people’s ability to hold a job, pay rent, or generally participate in society. Similarly, untreated mental illness prevents some people from living productive lives. These people are suffering and require societal intervention. But if we are going to intervene effectively, we need to acknowledge the problem as it truly exists so that we can craft an appropriate solution.

Ban RV Camping
Enough is enough. We need to require vehicle registration, enforce our parking laws, and impound abandoned vehicles. We need to get the RVs off of our streets.