On a cold April day, a Portland police officer gave Renee Crisp a choice: Go to jail or talk to a city outreach worker about moving into housing.
It was the second time in three months that Crisp, 40, had watched city contractors stuff her tent, blankets, clothes and other belongings into trash bags as they told her she couldn’t camp on a public sidewalk.
Crisp chose to avoid jail and speak with an outreach worker. She said that person took her to a downtown Portland day shelter, where she was only allowed to stay for three hours…