The City Is Leaving Water On, Bathrooms Open At Overlook Park To Help A Nearby Homeless Camp

James Rexroad

Campers at Hazelnut Grove

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Commissioner Amanda Fritz has directed Portland Parks & Recreation to leave the restrooms open and water running in Overlook Park, to accommodate the organized homeless camp that took root nearby earlier this year.

As part of its annual winterization process, PP&R this week turned off water spigots at the park, and closed off its bathrooms. That's a big potential issue for Hazelnut Grove, the encampment on North Greeley avenue just downhill from the park. The 40+ homeless people living in the camp rely on water from Overlook Park, which they haul down North Interstate in enormous rain barrels strapped to rolling carts.

Fritz, who controls the parks bureau, met with representatives in the camp at Portland City Hall on Tuesday, says her chief of staff, Tim Crail.

"The commissioner wanted them reopened while we talked about whether its feasible to have them open once freezing weather has arrived," says Crail.

The move is another sign that the city's being more accommodating to the homeless, as officials have proclaimed a state of emergency around housing, and work to increase housing options for the destitute and middle class alike (for more on the city's homeless situation, check out this week's feature story). Last week, we reported Mayor Charlie Hales' office is planning to arrange for a shuttling service that would take homeless women from downtown to a new shelter in SW Portland.

Hales, who caused a stir when he swept homeless campers out front of City Hall early in his tenure—and continued pushing what the city called "entrenched" campers out of some neighborhoods earlier this year—has also said he'll allow the camp at Hazelnut Grove to remain on city land, even paying for two portable toilets. The mayor's office, though, has said it's actively searching for a new plot of land where campers can move.

In the meantime, it looks like they'll have a reliable water supply.

"I think the goal is to not have them there during the whole winter," says Crail. "While they're there, we wanna be accommodating."