PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — The City Council has scheduled an additional hearing on a controversial proposal to allow more homeless shelters, including sanctioned campsites, in most of Portland.
The first hearing on the Shelter to Housing Continuum Project is scheduled for Wednesday, March 17, as originally planned. But, largely because of concerns that a disproportionate number of new shelters could be sited in East Portland, the council has now scheduled another hearing on March 24, when the final vote was set to take place. That is now tentatively scheduled for March 31.
One issue is a map prepared by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, which staffed the project, showing a disproportionate number of potential shelter sites are available in East Portland. That is because there are more undeveloped properties in East Portland than in the rest of the city.
Several East Portland neighborhood organizations are demanding that new shelters be distributed throughout the city.
“The brunt of solving this problem should not fall on the marginalized communities in East Portland,” the Hazelwood Neighborhood Association said.
“We’re hearing from the other council offices that they need more time to better understand the proposal,” said Will Howell, communications director for Commissioner Carmen Rubio, who oversees the bureau. Howell said most of the public comments coming into Rubio’s office so far concern “density.”
Such concerns were discussed by the 11-member citizen Planning and Sustainability Commission, which recommended the project to the council on Jan. 26.
“Is there a way to limit the number of shelters (in a part of town)? There shouldn’t be an unlimited number of shelters in East Portland because I can see them all going there,” said commission member Katie Larsell, executive director of Oregon Unitarian Universalist Voices for Justice.
Principle planner Eric Engstrom assured the committee that there is not enough money to fund an unlimited number of shelters and camps anywhere. Joint Office of Homeless Services Director Marc Jolin said that many factors go into deciding where to locate new shelters, including access to services, transit, willing property owners, and an approved agency willing to manage them.
Another concern discussed by the commission is surfacing on the localized Nextdoor neighborhood blogs — the possibility of tent camps in open spaces, including public parks. The commission allowed temporary camps in open spaces, provided they are approved by property owners, including Portland Parks & Recreation.
“Living in city parks does a disservice to all of us. The mission of the parks is for visitors of all ages to enjoy the space,” Hayhurst Neighborhood resident Brynna Vanwitz posted on the blog that serves Southwest Portland. She included links to information about the project and the March 17 council hearing under the subject line, “Check it Out! Tent Cities in Our Parks?”
The project is intended to encourage the creation of additional sanctions shelters as alternatives to the increasingly visible unregulated camping on sidewalks and public spaces in the region. Examples include the sanctioned self-governing Right to Dream 2 encampment near the Moda Center and the former neighborhood-approved Kenton Village in North Portland.
In a related project, the Joint Office on Homeless Services is offering $3 million to community-based organizations that want to create new shelter options for homeless people in Multnomah County. The office issued a Request for Programmatic Qualifications that was extended to March 17.
“Any proposal that shows an improvement for participants vs. sleeping unsheltered in unsanctioned public spaces will be considered,” it read.
More information on the Shelter to Housing Continuum Project can be found at www.portland.gov/bps/s2hc.
A previous Portland Tribune story on the plan can be found here.