Kicking the Homeless to the Curb, and ‘burbs

The Portland City Council just passed a ban on camping on city streets during the daytime. From 8 AM to 8 PM it will be illegal to camp on city sidewalks. The homeless will still be allowed to sleep on the street at night, but the effect of them having to pack their belongings and decamp by 8 AM daily, should enforcement succeed, is expected to greatly decrease their presence downtown.

Most notably, the ordinance bans camping outside between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and requires people to pick up all personal property before leaving an area.

It also prohibits camping within 250 feet of schools, shelters, and childcare centers, as well as within pedestrian zones like crosswalks. Campers are not allowed to use gas heaters in or around their campsite.

Anyone who violates the ordinance three or more times, or who has multiple violations within 24 hours, faces a $100 fine and up to 30 days in jail.

Where will they go? Those on the streets downtown now are the hardest cases, hopeless addicts and the mentally ill. The overwhelming majority of them are not capable or willing to accept the rules that come with any traditional long term shelter arrangements. Just providing an overnight shelter bed is a problem with many or most of these people due to mental health and drug problems. Not that the beds are there.

There are more than 6,000 people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County, according to this year’s federally required tally of unhoused people. Of those, nearly 4,000 are unsheltered.

The county has around 2,000 shelter beds, according to county data.

Shepherding them into the Mayor’s planned mass camp sites outside the city anchors Wheeler’s plan but the city has yet to bring one of them online, much less demonstrate they will work. The city’s Safe Rest Village plan housing people by the tens in fenced-in tiny houses with community amenities is small and having its own problems managing residents.

So aside from the council’s vague plan what is its expectation? Any reasonable expectation is the ban will disperse the bulk of the homeless concentrated downtown to outlying areas. The law will apply throughout the city but an understaffed Portland Police Bureau can’t be expected to enforce it evenly throughout. Their focus will be on homeless concentrated on the downtown streets they’re trying to reclaim. Outlying Portland and adjacent cities can expect to absorb some of the displaced and the city is probably counting on it.