Homeless in downtown parks? (Portland, Estacada: apartment complex, new home, neighborhoods)

[scottinpdx]

My mom's Aunt and Cousin were in town visiting this past weekend. As I was driving them all around Portland, my moms Aunt was just amazed at the people actually sleeping on the sidewalks. She has never heard of people actually doing that. (She lives in Iowa) To me, I am used to seeing it, and everyone seems to ignore them.

[Hawk J]

The colder the winter, the fewer the homeless there are.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by hamellr

If we could crack down on the panhandlers, especially those sitting by off ramps, .....................................

The courts have ruled that to be freedom of speech.

They sit on islands in the traffic begging. It looks so unsafe, and I imagine that any motorist who hits a bum who is lying in the middle of the road begging is going to get his pants sued off.

Even if the police can't drive the panhandlers off, they should be able to at least get them out of the middle of the road. The courts say no, though.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Hawk J

The colder the winter, the fewer the homeless there are.

It's plenty cold in Bend and we have a large and healthy homeless population here. Of course, they are fed and given hotel rooms with cable TV and maid service, so nobody is freezing to death.

The homeless used to migrate south every winter, but now that they are fed and sheltered, they just stay all year round.

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

It's plenty cold in Bend and we have a large and healthy homeless population here. Of course, they are fed and given hotel rooms with cable TV and maid service, so nobody is freezing to death.

The homeless used to migrate south every winter, but now that they are fed and sheltered, they just stay all year round.

Fix me up with a room. I'll come over to visit......

[xz2y]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

The courts have ruled that to be freedom of speech.

They sit on islands in the traffic begging. It looks so unsafe, and I imagine that any motorist who hits a bum who is lying in the middle of the road begging is going to get his pants sued off.

Even if the police can't drive the panhandlers off, they should be able to at least get them out of the middle of the road. The courts say no, though.

That's incredibly dangerous. Around here (SE MI), the panhandlers have to stay off the road itself, but they are allowed on the medians or sidewalks, unfortunately.

On a related note, I read an article in the LA Times that young punks would run in front of cars intentionally to get hit and then sue. They would do it on city streets where traffic speeds were less. I guess they figured a broken leg was worth a million dollar lawsuit. Unreal.

[xz2y]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

It's plenty cold in Bend and we have a large and healthy homeless population here. Of course, they are fed and given hotel rooms with cable TV and maid service, so nobody is freezing to death.

The homeless used to migrate south every winter, but now that they are fed and sheltered, they just stay all year round.

When I first read this, I thought it was a joke. I guess it's not. How do the homeless get all these amenities in the winter in Oregon?

[xz2y]

Originally Posted by scottinpdx

My mom's Aunt and Cousin were in town visiting this past weekend. As I was driving them all around Portland, my moms Aunt was just amazed at the people actually sleeping on the sidewalks. She has never heard of people actually doing that. (She lives in Iowa) To me, I am used to seeing it, and everyone seems to ignore them.

So, the homeless can sleep anywhere they want to on the street in Portland without any restrictions?

[turquoise1]

There is a "camping rights" movement that aims to establish the entire city as an outdoor sleeping zone.

It is a conundrum, because while there is a severe lack of affordable housing (obviously a prime factor in homelessness) there appears to be a small segment of the population which claims an inability to live inside because of the "rules" involved.

The longer I live here, the more I think that the true Oregon spirit is that of an anarchist. But we are long past the era of the Wild West.

[oldtintype]

It's currently against the law to camp in the city. But some people are trying to change that.