The trash, and furniture along the roads.....it’s never been this bad. (Portland: apartments, condos)

[LoveCoffee]

We moved to Hillsboro last year, but starting coming to Portland 5 years ago when our son moved here. We would see a few homeless camps along side the freeway back then. But now, it’s horrible and no businesses are going to want to come here. A friend visited recently for the first time. I kept bragging about how beautiful Portland was and it was an embarrassment. Abandoned homeless camps, couches, overturned cars. I’m baffled.....what do the mayor and city officials have planned? They have to live among all this too. I always thought Portland was known to be such a beautiful city......SIGH I don’t expect perfection or homeless to leave, but this has gone way beyond that. Anyone know if the city has plans for a major clean up? I’d be the first to volunteer!!!

[DogWalkerPro]

I've lived in Portland on and off for over 20 years, and it breaks my heart what has become of this city. It used to be beautiful, clean, friendly, safe and affordable. Of course, not without its problems which we all know, but I'm not writing about that here.

Portland has, over the past 5 - 7 years, turned into an absolute garbage dump of a city. Abandoned cars litter the streets in what used to be nice neighborhoods. The amount of garbage is astounding and litters the highways, byways, alleys, curbs.....

We're not supposed to say anything about all of the homeless people because of political correctness, but when I talk to my neighbors 1x1, everyone (regardless of voting history) is in despair over these problems. We are not heartless people -- we do not feel safe. We are renters, we are home owners, we live in apartments and houses. It is not uncommon to wake up with a homeless person camped out on your steps despite your housing status.

It certainly is not the community it once was. Oregon taxes are high, the job market is not good (historically), the rents and house prices have skyrocketed, yet all public services have failed in regards to the cleanliness of the city. It's like the people in charge just gave up and decided that it's better to let this place become a landfill and that it's more important to let people have the right to dump their cars and garbage everywhere than to clean it up or find a solution to this mess.

Portland is quickly turning into a dystopia.

[texasdiver]

The 5th Circuit ruled that cities could not outlaw homelessness and prohibit camping on public property if the city doesn't provide adequate alternatives for people to use instead. A ruling that I think was legally justified. But the court also laid out an obvious roadmap for cities to comply, which is to provide adequate alternatives. If adequate shelters, camp sites, and housing is made available, then cities would be free to crack down on every bit of vagrancy and camping and mess in public.

What has happened instead, is that Portland and other west coast cities have descended into a complete morass of political dysfunction and NIMBY-ism and have utterly failed to come to grips with solutions. You don't have to build luxury condos for every homeless vagrant. You just have to have enough alternative shelter space available so that you can then legally go out and clean up the city. But there is now a whole 'homeless-industrial complex' of activists and interest groups who profit off the current problem and prevent solutions. I have zero faith that our current leadership is ever going to accomplish this. Look at the Wapato Jail saga, for example.

Until people get over their NIMBY-ism and get adequate solutions built, the problem is NEVER going to go away. I think we are like the frog in the pot of water. It just keeps getting worse and worse, bit by bit, but never in a sudden and dramatic enough way to spur adequate action.

I do believe the city could be turned around with the proper will. I spent time in NYC in the late 70s and early 1980s when large parts of it were an absolute cesspool of crime and dysfunction. It is almost unrecognizable today. Cities can change and improve. But we need both better leadership and better will on the part of the public to make that happen.

[LoveCoffee]

Profit being made on keeping the trash......LOVELY! I would think that downtown businesses would be frustrated. It makes me not want to go restaurants or to shop etc.

[StealthRabbit]

Dignity Village (since 2000),
https://dignityvillage.org/ (Becoming 'self managed' Dignity Village excluded a lot of own (NIMBY). Certainly for good reason in some cases. (violence and lack of desire to participate in the community)


Really good programs from NGO's (Such as Portland Rescue Mission, transitional programs, work training, family shelters with social, medical, psychologic resources.)

It's not working yet...

[Nell Plotts]

I am so sick of the trash at our roadsides.

Although few remember the rats that prolificated along Front Avenue near the granaries I am convinced that they have just moved to other streets.

[JackieLovesSun]

I do believe the city could be turned around with the proper will. I spent time in NYC in the late 70s and early 1980s when large parts of it were an absolute cesspool of crime and dysfunction. It is almost unrecognizable today. Cities can change and improve.

I appreciate the words of hope, and would love to see Portland improve to improve the quality of life for all.

[timfountain]

I recently went across town for the first time in probably 12 months. My first impression was of the massive increase in the amount of graffiti. It's just disgusting that every single surface seems to be covered in mindless spray painting. Where is the council and the owners in trying to cover this junk up? Get some of those homeless and unemployed out with a paintbrush....

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

The 5th Circuit ruled that cities could not outlaw homelessness and prohibit camping on public property if the city doesn't provide adequate alternatives for people to use instead. A ruling that I think was legally justified. But the court also laid out an obvious roadmap for cities to comply, which is to provide adequate alternatives. If adequate shelters, camp sites, and housing is made available, then cities would be free to crack down on every bit of vagrancy and camping and mess in public.
.

Cop out argument. Any city could easily fence off a vacant lot, throw a few portable toilets in there and viola. Adequate accommodations are now established. It would allow govt to move forward.

Besides, dozens of states, cities, regional governments and private entities ignore court orders all the time.

If there was any will in Portland, homeless would be gone or greatly reduced.

Ill tell you one thing, the multimillion dollar "rich people" tax the metro area implemented this year will NOT materially alter-homeless population. If anything, it will increase #'s.

[2Z4]

Other cities/states buy bus tickets for their homeless to send them to Portland.

Oregon has heavily restrictive land use policies and development fees, and has for decades. Which accounts for some of the housing issues.

Drugs are legal in Oregon now. People who want to do drugs will come to Oregon.