PORTLAND, OR – Despite Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s emergency declaration almost three weeks ago regarding homeless encampments near schools, many homeless people have openly told local news outlets that they have no intention of relocating.
This comes as a man overdosed on fentanyl and died on Northwest Hoyt Street, just about 100 feet away from the Metropolitan Learning Center’s playground.
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“I’m just keeping my tent here for protesting reasons,” homeless Portland resident Joseph Reandeau told NBC affiliate KGW. Reandeau has a tent near Northwest Hoyt and 19th Avenue which was set to be removed by Wheeler’s decree due to it being within 150 feet of a school. “[The order] said that this is an illegal campsite and that there are plenty of shelters that you can go to.”
The sense of entitlement in his statements didn’t stop with Reandeau, as many other homeless people told KGW that they would rather stay on the streets over going to a shelter.
Claiming safety reasons, however, Reandeau added, “I don’t feel very safe staying [at the listed shelter] because some of the people that room there make me and my partner uncomfortable, so we would rather stay in a tent. I could move my tent today if I wanted to, but it’s more of just a moral thing — I want to protest for a few days. I believe that our city and our government should give us more resources.”
It’s unclear what else Reandeau (who apparently uses they/them pronouns based on the confusing reporting on his statements) would like the city to offer him since he’s declining the shelter being offered. He’s apparently also on a waitlist for the city’s housing voucher program.
Another homeless person told KGW, “They’re telling people to move. They’re not banning it, they’re just telling people to move from here to here and not giving people nowhere to go.”
Once again, the order specifically states that “camping” or tent living is banned within 150 feet of schools.
While attempting to garner sympathy from the media, the tent dwellers are also distracting from the main reason people in the areas are so fed up. Michelle Scott is a resident who lives across the street from the Metropolitan Learning Center. She said the city has been promising to clean up the area for weeks and have not followed through. It’s gotten so bad, she said, that she’s trying to get out of her lease so she can move rather than put up with the filth and dangers of the encampment.
“They keep saying they’ll clean it up, and it’s still sitting here — all the junk, I mean. It’s been weeks. They walk around, and they pee and poop wherever they want to. They have their pants down. I don’t understand how they can have this around children.”
Apparently, despite the city’s feeble attempts to clean the areas, they’ve actually gotten worse since school started last week.
“They have come through a few times to clear it up, and an hour and a half later, we get as many if not even more,” Scott said.
Another area resident, Heather Begaetz, takes her daughter to the learning center’s playground often. “It’s just a huge thing to address,” she said. “How are we humanely addressing it? When the city just does sweeps it’s kind of just displacing people without really addressing the core issue.”
This piece was written by Leah Anaya on September 7, 2022. It originally appeared on RedVoiceMedia.com and is used with permission.
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If they won’t move voluntarily, give them an incentive. Come by daily and hose the encampments with a fire truck.
What did Wheeler expect when he treats a crisis with Kidd gloves. Should have nipped it in the bud in 2020. It’s a real disservice to these people and the whole community.
“BRING IN THE SCOOPS!“
What’s with the light gray font on a glaring white background?