Portland City Council voted Thursday to approve a plan to ban unsheltered homelessness and create mass outdoor homeless encampments across the city. The package of five resolutions, introduced by Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Commissioner Dan Ryan two weeks ago, outlines a number of aspirational and unfunded plans to address homelessness and housing needs. The […]
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Posted inHousing
Is City Council’s Proposal to Ban Unsheltered Homelessness Legal?
A review of recent cases by attorneys familiar with laws regarding homelessness finds that it might not be.
As Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Dan Ryan have fast-tracked a proposal to criminalize homeless camping and create mass encampments through City Council, few have discussed whether or not the plan would pass legal muster. A review of recent cases by attorneys familiar with laws regarding homelessness, however, finds that it might not. “No matter […]
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Homeless Portlanders Urge City Officials to Reconsider Mass Encampment Plan
Mayor Wheeler and Commissioner Ryan were asked to involve the perspective of homeless Portlanders before passing a plan to criminalize homelessness in Portland.
Homeless Portlanders had a captive audience in Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Commissioner Dan Ryan Tuesday afternoon in a public forum where Portlanders who’ve experienced homelessness were invited to share their thoughts on the politicians’ joint proposal to ban camping citywide. “With the camping ban, you’re saying the one space we’re carved out to be […]
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City Council Hears Public Feedback on Proposal to Criminalize Unsheltered Homelessness
City commissioners will hold a final vote on the proposal on Thursday, November 3.
City Commissioners heard loud opposition and support Wednesday to a proposed city policy that would ban homeless camping across Portland. The seven hours of testimony, provided by more than 200 Portlanders, painted a clear picture of who stands to benefit from the plan—and who could be harmed by the ordinance as proposed. “I can tell […]
Posted inHousing
Wheeler, Ryan Unveil Unfunded Proposal to Criminalize Homelessness
The proposal lacks significant funding, clear support from other government agencies, and interested contractors to carry it out.
Mayor Wheeler announced a much-anticipated proposal to ban homeless camping in Portland at a Friday press conference. This idea, which has been hinted at in various forms for more than a year, follows a growing drumbeat of vitriol from upset Portland property owners, businesses, and other members of the public about the impact that visible […]
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Tenants, Elected Officials Call on City to Close Loopholes in Affordable Housing Program
Dozens of Portlanders gathered in North Portland’s Overlook neighborhood Monday morning to decry a sweeping rent hike for low-income tenants at a city-subsidized apartment complex. “The rents are too high across this city,” said one rally-goer named Anthony. “If we show up for one, we show up for all.” The group gathered at the corner […]
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Commissioner Mapps Reveals Alternative to Charter Reform Measure
City Commissioner Mingus Mapps has released a much-anticipated charter reform proposal to serve as an alternative to the charter reform measure headed to the November ballot. The proposal, first reported on by the Oregonian, was shared with the Mercury Sunday. Mapps chose to propose alternative adjustments to the city charter—via his political committee, Ulysses PAC—after […]
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First Case Against Portland Police Officer Violence from 2020 Protests Goes to Trial
The first lawsuit against Portland police officers for their treatment of protesters in 2020 has reached its day in court. The case comes from Erin Wenzel, a care coordinator at Oregon Health and Science University who attended a racial justice protest with her husband on August 14, 2020. Wenzel, who lives in Beaverton, attended the […]
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Council Candidate Rene Gonzalez Asks City to Reconsider Historic Campaign Finance Penalty
City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez has asked the city reconsider the $77,000 fine levied against his campaign for allegedly violating the city’s small donor election laws. The Gonzalez campaign called the penalty “unjustified” in a letter sent to the city Tuesday, accusing the city of attempting to undermine Gonzalez’s campaign for council a month before […]
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Wheeler Moves Forward with Controversial Gunshot Detection Technology
Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office will develop a pilot program for the controversial gunshot-detection technology ShotSpotter, according to an announcement at a police oversight meeting Thursday evening. The pilot will need to be voted on by City Council before being adopted by the city. ShotSpotter uses microphones placed on telephone poles, street lights, and other tall […]
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City to Pay $85,000 to Settle Retaliation Lawsuit Filed by Police Captain
Portland City Council will vote Wednesday to pay $85,000 to settle a 2020 lawsuit filed by a member of Portland Police Bureau (PPB) accusing the city of employment discrimination and retaliation. James Crooker, who now serves as a Police Captain, made a slate of allegations against city and PPB leadership in his 2020 lawsuit. First, […]
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Why Are Portland’s Leaders Opposing Proposed Charter Reforms?
Hint: It might be because the reforms dilute their power.
Portland hasn’t felt like “The City That Works” for all of its residents for quite some time. Whether it’s coming from business owners forced to call five different bureaus to report trash dumped on their property, or people waiting hours to speak with a police officer after someone’s broken into their house, the level of […]