Guests are Jason Pilcher, houseless resident of the Springwater Corridor, Amanda Reese of Portland Backpacks of Hope and Katie Behrendt of Portland Tenants United https://www.facebook.com/portlandtenantsunited/. Call in to join the discussion at 503-231-8187.
The houseless population in Portland continues to increase as housing prices and rents skyrocket, and as economic and environmental refugees make their way to the Pacific NW. Last October, the city declared a "housing emergency" and in February of this year Mayor Charlie Hales decided to allow overnight camping on city property to alleviate the houselessness crisis and the burden on shelters and social services stretched well beyond capacity.
The Springwater Trail Corridor in SE Portland, established in the 1990's on an old Portland to Boring rail line that was discontinued in 1989, became an attractive place for Portland-based and transient houseless people and travellers because of its extensive overgrown and woody areas with easy access from the trail. Its population has certainly grown since Hales' policy change and as a result of previous "sweeps" of other preferred camping spots.
Estimates put 500 or more people now living in tents, under tarps and in other makeshift shelters along the Corridor. Some live by themselves or as couples or families, and some have developed small communities of up to several dozen people. The media have made much of incidents of violence along the trail, including rape and occasional harassment of or annoyance to people using the trail for walking, running or bicycling. Some neighbors who live in houses nearby, particularly in the Lents neighborhood, have been annoyed by noise, garbage and other issues involving the houseless residents. No thorough investigation of the actual number of such incidents and the number of people involved in them has been undertaken to our knowledge. Houseless people almost certainly have a higher-than-average share of physical and mental health and substance abuse issues, both as a contributing cause to becoming houseless and as an effect of the terrible strain of living on the margins and outside.
Service organizations such as Boots on the Ground and Backpacks of Hope, among others, have helped people living in the Corridor with food and other necessities.
Just last week, Mayor Hales changed his stance on city camping with regards to Springwater, citing its designation as a Natural Area and problems of environmental degradation from the impact of so many people living there, particularly along Johnson Creek. He called for a sweep or "clean-up" of the corridor beginning August 1. Both the service organizations and other houseless advocacy organizations, as well as housing and economic justice groups like Portland Tenants United, Jobs With Justice, Portland Solidarity Network pushed back against the Hales plan and began to organize with the houseless residents against the planned sweep.
They say that just evicting people without having a clear plan where to relocate them all will only make their existing health and economic problems worse and just push them to other areas of the city.
A number of public meetings were organized, with over 100 people showing up, some of whom pledged non-violent direct action to resist the "sweeps." This past Monday, Hales went to meet with residents of the Corridor and community allies, and on Wednesday announced a postponement of the evictions until September 1. Host Paul Roland will explore these issues with his guests.
For more information on the demands of Mayor Hales and the Portland City Council and to write in your concerns:
- KBOO