Global Courant
PORTLAND, OR – A new ban on daytime homeless camping went into legal effect Friday in Portland, but you wouldn’t know it walking through the City of Roses. Tents lined sidewalks and those who built their homes on public land say the new policy is unlikely to bring about any significant change.
“They’re bulls —,” Michael, who has been homeless on and off since the ’90s, bluntly told Fox News. “I’m tired of moving. They’ll have to let me move.”
Tents cover a clearing near the Steel Bridge in Portland, Oregon on July 7, 2023, the day the daytime camping ban went into effect. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)
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The city council passed the ordinance last month by a 3-1 vote, changing the city code to only allow people to camp overnight in non-restricted areas as long as they dismantle their camps each morning. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., people are prohibited from using tents to block access to Portland businesses or sidewalks. Camping is also prohibited in city parks or within half a mile of a school, daycare or city-operated homeless shelter.
The new rules went into effect on July 7, but neither the city nor the police have begun to enforce them.
Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office said the city is planning a “summer of education” and will make a formal announcement when enforcement begins.
“In the coming months, we will focus on education and outreach – making sure all outreach teams, city employees, (police) personnel and others have clear and thorough information about this new ordinance,” Wheeler said in a statement.
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A man recently jailed for stabbing another man said he hopes homeless people refuse to let authorities enforce the ban.
“What I would think is cool is if we stood up and stood as one man, make sure they don’t force us to tear down our tents or whatever,” said the man, who did not wish to be identified . “If they want violence, give them violence back.”
Lori, who recently got off the streets and into a shelter, told Fox News she thinks the ban will make Portland “100 times worse” by forcing the homeless — especially those taking mind-altering drugs like fentanyl — to roam the city during the day instead of staying secluded in their tents. Victoria agreed.
“(Some of the homeless) can’t comprehend what’s really going on here,” the Texas resident said. “They won’t get up and move if they don’t know how to get up and move.”
Victoria and Lori sit at two tents in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown neighborhood. Lori said she recently secured a spot inside a local shelter. Victoria was optimistic that she would soon be able to do the same. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)
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People who violate the regulation will first receive two written warnings. A third offense could result in a fine of up to $100 or up to 30 days in jail, though Wheeler’s office said the district attorney’s office will focus on “looking for alternative punishments.”
Enforcement of the ordinance is designed to “connect people with the right resources while addressing behaviors that are detrimental to our community,” the mayor’s office said.
“While I support clearing our sidewalks, I hope that with this ban comes more outreach to actually help these people,” said Kevin Dahlgren, a Portland area drug and alcohol counselor who is a outspoken critic of how the west coast deals with homelessness.
Dahlgren fears the ban will simply result in homeless people being swept from one street to another and back again, a concern echoed by Matt Bordonaro.
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“Until we create the camps and safe spaces and really try to tear them down, they’re not going to take it seriously. Nobody takes it seriously,” said Bordonaro, Oregon Harbor of Hope development director. The nonprofit is the brainchild of legendary Portland developer Homer Williams, who has regularly clashed with the city on how best to tackle the homeless crisis.
To hear more from people on the streets of Portland, click here.
Hannah Ray Lambert is an associate producer/writer at Fox News Digital Originals.
