Mayor Wheeler’s Proposed Camping Ban Draws Mixed Reactions
On the one hand, many are relieved to see the mayor taking what they call a more humane approach. On the other hand, some are still concerned about it being too vague.
The proposal bans camping if there’s reasonable access to shelter.
Some organizations are now asking: What does “reasonable” mean when even Wheeler himself admitted on to KOIN 6 News Thursday night that there are not enough shelter beds for the thousands of people who are homeless in the city?
“I don’t want to see a time where all we have as reasonable shelter are mats on the ground and a community space and someone either have a consequence of jail time or that mat on the ground,” said Kristle Delihanty, the founder and executive director of PDX Saints Love. “There’s not enough shelter beds, There’s not enough substance use recovery options for people. And then it all goes all the way down to affordable housing.”
“The camping bans always affect our work because it puts people on edge and it creates a culture of fear,” said Liz Starke, the development director for Rose Haven.
However, some advocacy groups are also saying they appreciate there’s a clearer definition of camping that doesn’t include a person just sitting down with their belongings.
The ban also restricts fires, cooking, digging, trash, creating structures and having dismantled bikes or cars around tents. It also retains language from last year’s proposed camping ban — later struck down by a judge — that would require keeping public rights of way clear.
While the criminal penalties are less strict than the first ordinance, organizations who spoke to KOIN 6 News do not agree with the new repercussions: $100 fine, one week in jail or both.
“Criminalization isn’t the answer,” Starke said. “So it’s still on paper saying it’s illegal to be here when we don’t have a place for people to go.”
The Rose Haven director said people come in every single day to ask social workers to place them in shelters. But they often get the word back that there are long waitlists and that the shelters are often full.
“And if you have additional fees to pay and legal issues and appointments to get to and you may not even have a phone or an address that’s only going to make your road to recovery more difficult,” Starke said.
While some aspects of the new proposed ban are more defined, the specific phrase service providers have taken issue with is the idea of banning camping for someone who has access to “reasonable alternative shelter.”
Scott Kerman, director of the Blanchet House in Old Town, said in a statement that the proposed ordinance “appears to be a more humane and practical way to address the challenges we’re facing in our city. I appreciate the intent to help people find shelter that meets their individualized needs and prioritizes outreach over imprisonment.”
Wheeler told KOIN 6 News Thursday night that the proposed ban would give the city law enforcement tools to keep sidewalks and some public spaces clear. He said that the longer someone is on the street, the more likely they will suffer from behavioral health or substance use disorder issues.
