I/anonie, I agree with you. It will take more than the city hall folks spending a night with the homeless in their hope to gain a great insight into the homeless plight. I would freak if the homeless were living in an alley behind my home. Poor homeowners, I am sorry for them too.

This city will have to get some properties and try to keep families off the street. Able body homeless men and women will have to be a part of keeping the living environment clean with the help of sanitation and basic rules.

The syringes and all that bull shit is unacceptable. Drugs and alcohol not permitted. Keep your living space clean, or your out. Now it is up to the city to keep good people safe, no matter if they are homeless or homeowners. Buy some frigging decent properties and tax the builders that are putting up $3000.00 rental properties. They have plenty of money to throw around, and don't tax the homeowners that have been here and gotten more and more discouraged.
It is going to cost money to have security, medical clinics and enough food,etc. Volunteers will come, just as soon as they have a safe place to volunteer. You are so right about the list of things needed to donate, maybe before the rain and cold they will figure it out. In the meantime, let the powers that be will be run around like the dull,clueless, unimagative brainiacs they have been for the people they promised to support. I don't own a home either, but I am learning about my adopted city I have grown to love.

Why are you writing this on IA and not contact the city directly?

I'm getting mighty tired of these types of IA's.

Dear Lents Neighborhood:

You are an enthically diverse, working class neighborhood. Neo-Nazis, meth heads and sex offenders have turned the Springwater into a truly scary place. Homeless advocates use Katherine Dawn Hoffman (google her) as a poster child for why we must stop the sweeps.
Your possessions are stolen constantly, and you can't sleep with the meth zombie dance parties. Your kids have lost a place to play.

How can I help you, Lents? Gresham can take care of its residents, but PDX sees you as unworthy to even be consulted on these plans. But gosh, there is a lot of compassion for a woman who was in bed with her husband while he raped his daughter, and like any good mom, she just rolled over and went to sleep. Katherine Dawn Hoffman lives on the corridor now near your kids and she has a free lawyer. Where is your lawyer, Lents?

They don't need your donations. They steal totally new stuff from your local Fred Meyer. But they'd stay in your living room or spare bedroom if you're offering.

I always wondered where they got all those tents and sleeping bags, 'cause they just seem to leave them behind each time they abandon a camp and move on to a new one...too infested with parasites to use again?