Despite its previously liberal approach to the homelessness epidemic in Portland, the city has moved forward with a number of forced dispersals of encampments; with seemingly mixed results. At the height of these “tent sweeps” in October of 2022, the city proclaimed to have swept over 80 encampments in a single week. And in May of 2022, another 80 camps a week.
It is one thing to see the bird’s eye perspective, but examining the individual stories of those affected by these changes in legislature and ideology provides a much more intimate examination of the crisis. A houseless individual by the name of Aistheta Gleason told The Guardian the harrowing story of getting evicted from the house of pallets that they had constructed themselves. “The cops showed up, and Gleason says they were arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest, after a confrontation during which they initially refused to drop a walking stick. In the patrol car, they watched city workers dismantle the camp.” This is just one story from the countless forced dispersals authorized by the city, and the situation isn’t looking any better because of the increase.
Due to a lack of resources and funding into rehabilitation and housing for the countless individuals seeking shelter, combined with new bans on sleeping on the sidewalk and tent camping; these people are trapped in a legislative limbo. A study found that “only 10% of Portlanders swept in the raids remain in shelter, and fewer than 1% found permanent housing.” The laws that aim to “clean the streets” do nothing but criminalize the act of being homeless; and without any sort of effective effort put towards social programs there will never be any real change. -Cole Marshall
Sources:
https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/12/portland-has-dramatically-escalated-tent-sweeps.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/26/portland-oregon-homelessness-policy-change#:~:text=safe%2C%20permanent%20homes.-,Only%20about%2010%25%20of%20Portlanders%20swept%20from%20encampments%20and%20offered,county%2C%20where%20Portland%20is%20located.
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