PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Gateway Discovery Park is what Portland city leaders have called the Gateway to East Portland. But a frustrated group of neighbors in the area near NE Halsey and 106th see the homeless camps destroying livable neighborhoods.

The residents say unchecked drug use, unrestricted camping and low level crime are big problems that are deteriorating the area.

So they’ve taken action: EnoughIsEnoughPDX.com

Benjamin Kerensa of the group EnoughIsEnoughPDX.com, September 17, 2018 (KOIN)

“Enough is Enough” is the rallying cry of these people who’ve become so disillusioned with increasing numbers of homeless camps and drug addicted people that they hung banners from the Glisan overpass on I-205 in a cry for help to address the growing number of people threatening the livability of their neighborhoods.

“They’re addicted to drugs and they don’t care anymore. They’ve given up on leading a productive life and they don’t care about services,” said resident Benjamin Kerensa. “It’s not a shelter or housing thing. They’re quite happy being outside and shooting up heroin and meth.”

Another resident, Angela Todd, is sympathetic to the plight of the homeless. Help for everybody to her means more funding to treat drug addiction and help for people priced out of affordable housing.

But she said, “It’s like Mad Max out here. We have needles in parks and on our roadsides. Some of us are afraid to have our children outside. We have human waste. We’re doing neighborhood clean ups. We come back a week later and it’s trashed again. We need help. We need help for everybody.”

Angela Todd of the group EnoughIsEnoughPDX.com, September 17, 2018 (KOIN)

Todd said the city seems to have turned a blind eye on addicts taking over public space, stealing, drilling into gas tanks to steal gas, all varieties of home theft and intimidating anyone who calls them out on it.

“A lot of activists say these people are neighbors, too,” Kerensa told KOIN 6 News. “But neighbors don’t drill into gas tanks or steal from their neighbors. That’s crime and that needs to be addressed.”

An ODOT worker suggested they move from the sidewalk on the overpass to a safer spot with their banner. So the group moved to the off-ramp at Glisan and I-205 for about an hour. They plan to be out there again later Monday afternoon.

Linda Berget has been homeless for three years. She said she shares some of the concerns that residents have.

“I hate that,” Berget said of the concerns from residents regarding the conditions around I-205. “You know, I’m not a part of that. I’m always cleaning up garbage and it gives us all a bad name out here. Not all of us are responsible. I wish I could make that stop, also.

“I’m scared to go to sleep at night. People don’t even care — they couldn’t care if you live or die out here.”

Enough is Enough also has a petition online. You can view that here.