Homeless people in Portland, Oregon can’t sleep outside anymore, but the city will use “discretion” when it comes to disturbing them.
In February, Mayor Charlie Hales implemented the “Safe Sleep Guidelines,” a pilot program meant to ensure that homeless people without access to shelter could rest outside without fear of getting roused or arrested by cops. But when other residents started to misconstrue the initiative to mean any camping was allowed, Hales announced an end to the program on Tuesday.
“The guidelines caused confusion,” Hales said in a statement, “People believed that camping was made legal, and outreach workers and law enforcement struggled to educate people about the difference between a safe night’s sleep and unsanctioned camping.”
While homeless people will technically no longer be permitted to pitch tents and sleep outside, authorities aren’t going to aggressively target them, according to Sara Hottman, communications director for Mayor Hales.
Hottman said residents will likely still see tents pitched around the city but that cops and park rangers will use their discretion when it comes to enforcing the law. They’ll focus their efforts on those who are “creating problems” by blocking sidewalks, or disturbing the peace, for example.
“I’ve used jaywalking as an analogy,” Hottman told The Huffington Post in an email. “It’s always illegal, but a police officer has higher-priority issues to respond to, unless a jaywalker causes a crash or creates some problems.”
The decision comes amid a homeless crisis in Portland.
In October, Hales declared a homelessness state of emergency. The city has an overwhelming amount of homeless people and not enough shelter to house them.
On a single night in January last year, there were 1,887 unsheltered people in Portland.
Hales said the city will work with social service providers and police to communicate the new policies to homeless people, but will “use compassion in enforcement.”
The mayor is continuing other programs for homeless people that have proven effective.
The city placed dumpsters and portable toilets at several locations across the city for homeless people, which are serviced several times a week, according to a press release.
Portland is also going to expand its storage facility for homeless people. The containers allow homeless people to store their belongings while they go to medical appointments or job interviews. At least four people who utilized the facilities got housing and jobs.