Homeless encampments: Difference between revisions
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==== Controversies ====
While serving as an aide to Mayor Hales, Lucas Hillier
The city auditor investigated OMF's HUCIRP and found that the program frequently ignored hundreds of complaints about transient camps from citizens and had challenges with organization and prioritization. [https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2019/03/portland-homeless-camps-clean-up-program-needs-improving-auditors-say.html Portland homeless camps clean-up program needs improving, auditors say(The Oregonian piece from 2019)] As of June 2020, some of the recommendations made by the auditor's office have yet to be implemented such as keeping constituents informed about the status of their complaints.<ref>https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/06/portlands-camp-cleanup-program-has-improved-according-to-city-auditor.html</ref> Goose Hollow Foothills League meeting noted HUCIRP and city needs to be held accountable in the way they conduct sweeps, with regard to how a sweep near a capital improvement project resulted in campers simply moving into their neighborhood.(page 2) [http://www.goosehollow.org/images/GHFLMinutes20210218.pdf GHFL February 2021 meeting notes]
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==== Toilets (Port-a-Potties) Controversy ====
[https://overlookneighborhood.org/overlook-neighborhood-update-sept-12/ September 2020 Overlook Neighborhood Association meeting] notes allege that HUCIRP has been known to
In an email correspondence obtained from the city by the Oregonian newspaper through public records request, OMF HUCIRP's program coordinator Katie Lindsay alleges that a police officer referred to her as a "yahoo". Furthermore, Lindsay claimed that a police officer told community members that PPB would not follow up on the incidents of theft as "it relates to the city property or in regards to the threats towards city vendors, city staff, or damage to vendor’s property.", according to the Oregonian.https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/12/portable-toilets-in-southeast-portland-stolen-vandalized-in-escalating-fight-between-city-and-neighbors.html
==== Katie Lindsay, HUCIRP program coordinator ====
In a correspondence with a citizen in December 2020, City of Portland's HUCIRP program coordinator Katie Lindsay (who
"Almost 90% of the complaints our program has received regarding these units are related to stigma connected to the homeless population and complaints about things that ‘could happen,’ but have not happened," Lindsay wrote to the citizen. In a response to a citizen's complaint about the toilet placed near the complainant's house, Lindsay replied "Access to water and appropriate toilet options are recognized by the UN General Assembly as a human right" <ref name="toilet"> https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/12/portable-toilets-in-southeast-portland-stolen-vandalized-in-escalating-fight-between-city-and-neighbors.html</ref> Katie Lindsay's <ref name="pitstop"/> described her experience with the interaction with the homeless in her professional capacity as "dealing with transients" during a public testimony at a Sherwood city council session on the matter of the presence of a 24 hour parking lot at the Walmart near her own house.<ref name="katie testimony"/>
In a media interview in her professional capacity, she described she's been besieged with angry phone calls about the red toilet.<ref>https://www.streetroots.org/news/2020/11/04/kaia-sand-access-hygiene-sanitation-human-right</ref> So, basically like taking phone calls from people concerned about the impact of homelessness in their personal life and hold similar concerns she relate to when she's not wearing her professional hat. In her personal hat, Katie said: <blockquote>'''''"I've spent a lot of my profession when i worked, umm dealing with transients and I mean we're talking things like petty crime, public intoxication, but those aren't things I want in my community."'''''<ref>https://youtu.be/yeucKkIX5sM?t=4123 (City of Sherwood City Council Testimony June 12, 2013</ref> -
She acknowledged that when she was working at an organization that is the "largest homeless shelter in Portland".(Likely Portland Rescue Mission<ref>https://www.portlandrescuemission.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Prayer-Calendar-August-2012.pdf</ref>), they would suggest their clients who can not enter the program to go camp at Walmart or the airport.
"Katherine Kalpakis [of Sherwood] came forward and said she has emailed the Council and said she bought a home in Sherwood in 2011 and is raising 3 small children here and has not attended meetings but she has voted, does research on the elections and she watches the meetings on TV. She said she has a very reasonable concerns and questions for the Council and the Planning Commission regarding the 24 hour parking. She said she received one response from Mayor Middleton. She stated for 3 1/2 years she worked for the largest homeless shelter in Portland and she did safety planning which is when a client can't come into the program they let them know what is practical for them to do and some of the advice is to go to the airport or find a Walmart parking lot. She said she also worked in Arizona with domestic violence shelters and that was also the advice they gave. She said she is concerned and stated it is easy to remedy the situation by eliminating the 24 hour parking and she has read reports that some of the crimes at Shari's and Wendy's are not significant, but that is not true about Walmart and she has spent a lot of time dealing with transients, heavy crime and public intoxication and she does not want this in her community and recommends they pass an ordinance. She said she does not want to have to pay for that or the burden of enforcing the 24 hour parking on our Police Department and said they should have to pay for it. She referred to an article in January from Pamplin Media that reported about the homelessness in this area and it suggested that people find safe places like Walmart because it is better to be in large groups rather than being on their own. She stated that this is a responsible thing for Council to prevent."<ref name="katie testimony">Sherwood City Council meeting minutes, June 12, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20170131134712/https://www.sherwoodoregon.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/city_council/meeting/1330/06.12.13_city_council_minutes.pdf</ref><br />
That article referenced above is likely ''Men on the street'', by Saundra Sorenson, in the January 03 2013 print of TheTimes https://pamplinmedia.com/ttt/89-news/125909-men-on-the-street
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