Portland’s Homeless State of Emergency to Get Its First Test

Monday, October 12, 2015
Brendan Murray, GoLocalPDX Contributor

The City of Portland’s homelessness state of emergency will face its first true test this week, as residents of a homeless camp in North Portland will need to find another place to take shelter, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

People camping in a homeless settlement on a patchwork of public and private land adjacent to a bike path on North Greeley Avenue will be forced out by the DOT and Union Pacific Railroad, who own the land. Written notices were posted at the encampment on Tuesday, informing campers that they must vacate the area or face a more than $6,000 trespassing fine.

Francisco Catillo, a spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad, told GoLocal the company was alerted to the camp by state officials last week. He said the company must clear the camp to keep its employees, and those living at the camp, safe.

"Whether it's one person there or 10 or 15 or 20 people there, it's a liability to the railroad," Castillo said, referencing heavy traffic on Greeley Avenue and the high amount of trains that travel to the nearby Albina Train Yard.

Neighbors Want Camp Gone

The campsite is adjacent to a community garden owned by Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust, a volunteer non-profit. The group had hoped to turn the camp into a more established settlement area.

Along with nearby Sisters of the Road Cafe, the group hoped to bring in support services and resources such as clean water, garbage service and portable toilets for the homeless.

Many in the area, however, did not feel the site was suited for such a camp. The Overlook Neighborhood Association, a group of more than 5,800 people and several business associations, wrote a letter to the City Council this week saying the group “strongly opposes establishment of a temporary or permanent homeless camp near the intersection of Greeley and Interstate Avenues.”

“The site is wholly inappropriate for this sort of use,” the letter read. “Both Interstate and Greeley Avenues carry high traffic volumes. Encouraging people to live there in an unregulated, ad hoc manner puts both pedestrians and motorists at risk of a tragic accident, especially at night under poor illumination.”

The group also cited reports from bikers and joggers who use the nearby path being harassed by people at the camp, large amounts of trash that litter the area, and the high amount of alcohol and drug use in the area.

“When local organizers first proposed placing a public garden on the site a few years ago, they assured the Overlook Neighborhood Association that they would not use that as a starting point to develop a homeless camp,” the letter said. “The Oregon Department of Transportation was correct when it decided to evict campers from its property there.”

Where Will They Go?

Members of the City Council, who, as GoLocal reported, last week passed an ordinance declaring a one-year state of emergency regarding the homeless and housing problems plaguing the city, are working to find a new shelter for those being evicted from the camp.

Mayor Charlie Hales’ Office said that it might allow campers to take shelter on other city property in the same area, even despite the heavy opposition from the ONA. 

Josh Alpert, Hales’ chief of staff, told GoLocal that solution would not be an ideal one, but that “at this point, there are not many opportune sites.”

"Homelessness is happening, and it would be amazing if it happened in an orderly fashion," Alpert said. "It doesn't work that way."

Alpert also said that the city is asking people who are sleeping in city buildings or on city property to be respectful of nearby residents and businesses and to “minimize complaints.” He said the focus will be on eliminating open drug and alcohol use, visible trash, and aggressive behavior. City officials will also attempt to break camps into smaller groups, if possible.

Alpert said the city was hard at work to help both homeless residents and those bothered by them. He said a homeless help hotline has been established, and more programs will soon be on the way.

"Nobody should be under the impression that we're doing nothing," Alpert said.