Portland’s ban on sleeping in public took effect last Nov. 1. Since then, the city’s Impact Reduction Program swept over 6,000 encampments. Police assist in 16% of sweeps, according to Portland Police Bureau data.
Some city officials say the ban, which criminalizes unsheltered homelessness by imposing fines up to $100 or up to a week in jail on people for sleeping in public, connects homeless Portlanders to shelter. But many homeless Portlanders, advocates and the city’s own data indicate the shelter system — and associated attempts to coerce people into it — act as a barrier to stabilization, not an aid.
Mayor Keith Wilson’s spokesperson, Cody Bowman, previously issued a statement to Street Roots on the ban…