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Homelessness
1
has always been a problem in major cities across
the United States; Portland, Oregon is a growing city that is
currently dealing with a homelessness problem. According to Oregon
Housing and Community Services’ 2017 Point-in-Time results, “Multnomah
County had 4,177 people experiencing homelessness, representing 30% of
the state’s homeless population”, which is a about a ten percent
increase compared to the last two years
2
.
There are many possible reasons why people experience
homelessness; however homelessness advocates as well as city and
county leaders believe it is the current housing crisis that is
forcing many people onto the streets
3
. The United States Bureau of
Census states that “Oregon’s population, in general, has been
increasing at a faster pace than the U.S. population as a whole”
4
Other
U.S. Census Bureau reports show that from 2005 through 2010 there was
a substantial decrease in housing manufacturing, causing a low supply
1
As used in this section, “homelessness” means the lack of a decent, safe, stable and
permanent place to live that is fit for human habitation.
2
Oregon Gov. Oregon Housing and Community Services “2017 Point-in-Time Estimates of
Homelessness in Oregon”
2017 available at: http://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/ISD/RA/2017-Point-in-Time-Estimates-
Homelessness-Oregon.pdf
* “Every two years, during the last ten days of January, there is a nationwide effort
to count every homeless person across the country. This Point-in-time count attempts
to capture both sheltered and unsheltered homeless people to provide a snapshot of
homelessness in the United States”
3
Harbarger, Molly. "Portland's Homeless Population Jumps Nearly 10 Percent, New Count
Shows." Oregon-Live. June 20, 2017. Accessed May 22, 2018.
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2017/06/portlands_homeless_population.htm
l.
4
The United States of America. Department of Administrative Services. Economic
Analysis. OREGON’S DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS. OR, 2017. available at:
http://www.oregon.gov/das/OEA/Documents/OR_pop_trend2017.pdf
“Between 1950 and 2017, Oregon’s population increased by 170 percent, whereas U.S.
population increased by 115 percent.”
2
of housing in Oregon. The data also shows an increase in median rental
rates and decrease in family median incomes
5
. Because of this low
supply and large demand as well as income decreases and rental rate
increases, people are not able to afford housing. While Portland alone
saw a 4.68% wage growth in 2017 with a projected wage growth of 7.54%
in 2018, the city’s 2017 price of housing increased by 9.98% with a
projected 2.60% increase by 2018
6
; the money coming in does not
always match or compare to the money going out to pay for housing.
If you are a resident of Portland or visit often, you will notice
many people expressing their concern with the homelessness problem in
their city and stating that the amount of tents popping up is
increasing every day. Residents report that homeless camps bring
problems to their neighborhoods, such as littering, drug use, petty
crime, and making their neighborhood unsanitary with human feces
7
.
5
The Oregon Housing and Community Services “2017 Point-in-Time Estimates of
Homelessness in Oregon” states that “from 2008 to 2015, family median incomes
decreased 1.8 percent while median rents increased 9.8 percent (in 2015 inflation-
adjusted dollars).”
6
Sharf, Samantha. "Full List: America's Fastest-Growing Cities 2018." Forbes.
February 28, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2018.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthasharf/2018/02/28/full-list-americas-fastest-
growing-cities-2018/#3736343b7feb
7
Tierney, John. "Tent City: How We Got Here." KGW. January 25, 2018. Accessed May 22,
2018. https://www.kgw.com/article/news/investigations/tent-city-how-we-got-here/283-
481804631.
3
After the Anderson vs. City of Portland settlement
8
in 2012 and
the “Safe Sleep” policy
9
in 2016, confusion on the legality of homeless
camps spiked throughout the city. Neither the Portland Police Bureau
nor the people knew exactly how to deal with the homeless camps
popping up. This caused police to stop enforcing camping laws even
during daytime hours when the “Safe Sleep” policy states that setting
up tents was not allowed during that time
10
. By accepting the campsites
even during ‘not allowed times’ reluctantly without protest or
enforcing the law, it created an acquiescence law
11
.
The City of Portland has been working hard trying to solve the
homeless campsite problem since the “Safe Sleep” policy was rescinded.
Portland Police Sergeant and the director of the Joint Office for
Homeless Services Marc Jolin are working together to clear these
8
Anderson vs. The City of Portland (settlement) Case 6:80-cv-01447-AA, Document 91,
12 September 2012, available at: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4104410-
Anderson-v-Portland-Settlement.html
*Marlin Anderson was homeless and sleeping in Delta Park in Portland, when an officer
stopped Anderson and cited him for unlawful camping. The charges were dropped however
Anderson joined other homeless plaintiffs who sued the City of Portland in 2008,
claiming their constitutional rights were violated. In 2012 the city and plaintiffs
areed on a settlement of $3200 plus all legal fees paid along with a strict set of
rules the city had to follow when clearing homeless camps. You can find the list of
said rules in the court settlement documentation.
9
Smith, Emily E. "Charlie Hales Ends 'safe Sleep' Policy Allowing Homeless Camping."
Oregon Live. August 03, 2016. Accessed May 22, 2018.
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2016/08/charlie_hales_ends_safe_sleep.htm
l.
*Portland’s former Mayor Charlie Hales initiated the “Safe Sleep” policy that allowed
homeless people in small groups to set up sleeping bags on city sidewalks between 9pm
and 7am and set up tents on other city owned land. Policy was meant to give people a
safe place to sleep undisturbed at a time when shelters were full. Policy was
rescinded in August 2016, six months after it was initiated.
10
Tierney, John. "Tent City: How We Got Here." KGW. January 25, 201.
11
As defined by dictionary.com, Acquiescence (noun)- Law. such neglect to take legal
proceedings for such a long time as to imply the abandonment of a right.
4
campsites and help homeless campers at the same time. While clearing
camps, they are also providing information to those occupying the
campsites on how they can obtain certain resources that would help
them get off of the streets
12
. With the number of unsheltered homeless
being the lowest it has ever been,
13
camps are slowly being cleared
while homeless campers 4th amendment rights
14
are still being
protected.
Visual Representation of Portlanders satisfaction with how certain people and groups
are addressing homelessness in the city.
15
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