portland, homeless crisis

The man who had been living at this Southeast Portland location for several months was going to be relocated after police came and notified him and others that they'd need to vacate the area due to upcoming sidewalk repair. Some advocates for the homeless say the constant push to move such camps puts the homeless in danger, especially during times of extreme cold.

(Beth Nakamura/Staff)

Candice Aiston

On Jan. 2, just two days after Mayor Ted Wheeler was sworn in, a homeless man named Mark Elliot Johnson died of hypothermia on East Burnside and 99th Avenue. This will be the first of many homeless people who die in Portland this year - 88 died in 2015.

What we are doing as a city to address homelessness is not working, and it is actually harming people's efforts to give and get help. Our city leaders need to spend all available resources on creating permanent housing and, in the meantime, they need to stop the inhumane sweeps and allow camping areas for homeless people so that they can have safety and stability.

When people are forced to relocate their camps, they walk away with only what they can carry. This usually means that they are without the belongings they need to survive living outdoors. Increasingly, people have been forced to locate to remote areas where outreach workers and volunteers cannot find them. Many advocates have resources to help homeless people get physical and mental health services, addiction treatment, housing and the food and supplies they need to stay alive. But we can't find them, because city leaders keep making them move from place to place and often into remote areas, far from these services.

We've seen a lot of success with permanent camps. Residents report feeling safe, stable, hopeful and motivated. They take part in building a community, both physically and by participating in governance and conflict resolution. They are able to safely leave their camp to access services, and outreach teams and case workers can meet with multiple clients in one place. There are several success stories out of these camps. Many people have gone on to find permanent housing. Some have found employment. Others have accessed mental health services or applied for disability, social security or benefits for veterans. Camps are working.

There is a lot of pushback from neighborhood and business groups about homeless camps in Portland. As a citizen, it looks to me as if city leaders react with appeasement every time a group complains. And for all of that appeasement, nothing has been solved. If anything, it looks like our homelessness problem has gotten bigger and is more widespread.

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It is time for the mayor and city council to take a firm stand and say enough is enough. Sweeps are inhumane. There's not enough housing, and building shelters instead of housing would be a terrible waste of resources. We don't need permanent shelters. We need permanent low-income housing. It is time to invest in that housing. And, in the meantime, we need to designate areas throughout the city to be used for long-term camping near major Tri-met lines or close to services.

I've heard good things about Wheeler's willingness to listen to advocates. I hope the rumors are true.

Candice Aiston is lawyer and advocate for the homeless who lives in Southeast Portland.