PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — North Portland communities are concerned about the homelessness crisis in their neighborhoods and say it has only been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
North Portland neighborhood associations are coming together to develop a new way to address the homelessness crisis in Portland. They have developed both short-term and long-term proposals — and they’re pushing for prompt action throughout the city.
In the short term, they’re asking the city to create temporary safe, sanctioned locations for camping, as well as to deliver sanitation and health-safety materials to sanctioned campsites. This would include portable toilets, regular garbage pick-up, and masks for COVID-19.
The associations also are asking the city to speed up the permitting for the private effort to turn the Wapato facility into a homeless services facility.
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In the long term, neighborhood associations are hoping to develop safe, legally sanctioned camps throughout the city modeled by the Kenton Women’s Village and Dignity Village.
These sanctioned camps should accommodate tents as well as car and RV camping, along with access to social services, including physical and mental health services and offer transition services to permanent housing for all residents.
Several neighborhood associations have endorsed this new strategy to help Portland’s homeless residents and neighborhoods.
They now are working with nonprofits throughout Portland to build support for this approach.