By Charlotte Hanscom

Every night, thousands of Oregonians sleep on sidewalks, in tents and in cars. Houselessness is continually increasing and is currently one of the main issues the city faces. Mayor Keith Wilson is focused on ending unsheltered houselessness and has a goal of adding 1,500 new overnight shelter beds to the city by December 2025. This plan will cost an estimated $28 million, and the Metro Council voted unanimously to send the city $15 million of the funds. However, it is currently unclear how this project will receive the rest of the funding necessary.
In local neighborhoods, some are frustrated by how the city is choosing to deal with houselessness. Recently, a petition promoting community-led deterrents was organized and signed by residents near SE 34th Ave. and Powell Blvd. As of June 18, there have been 283 verified signatures. The petition asked for material support and community backing to “install visible deterrents—planters, barricades and cones—immediately after the June 2–9 sweep.” Planter beds have been newly installed on SE 34th Ave. and Powell Blvd. in an attempt to discourage tent setup and prevent RVs from parking on the street.
Charles Reneau, one of the petition signers and a regular visitor to the neighborhood, describes the situation on SE 34th Ave. and Powell Blvd. as “a very long, ongoing problem.” Over the years, he has observed “the increase in camping from the beginning of the pandemic, and the increasing number of fires started.” Reneau explains, “That made me concerned about the health and safety of everyone on the street.”
Supporters of the petition hope it will spur reform. Karen Gregos, who signed the petition, believes that even if it does not directly cause change, it is “letting our city administrators know that we’re concerned, we’re affected, and we’re hoping they do something about it.”
Many who are houseless are also frustrated with the city. SE Portland resident Will is currently houseless, and has been on and off for 25 years. He says of the city sweeps, “I’m irritated, I’m upset, I’m frustrated because they’re trying to treat us like animals.” Will explains that the city’s treatment of the houseless feels dehumanizing, stating, “All they do is just throw us somewhere where they think that they should throw us, and then treat us like we don’t have opinions, like we have no rights.” He adds, “I would like to see them give us options on what we would like to do, instead of forcing us.”
Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services reports that, as of April 2025, 15,541 people are experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County. Will, who has traveled around and interacted with the houseless population, believes that the number is likely higher, stating, “I don’t think the city understands how big the problem really is.”
Each person experiencing houselessness is an individual with their own story. Will notes, “Most people think that just because we’re houseless that we’re unorganized, that we’re uneducated. But many of us have master’s degrees.” Will himself has a master’s degree in psychology and minored in law at Portland State University. He also studied alcohol and drug counseling at Portland Community College and worked in social work for 10 years. He explains, “We are still part of society. We just have our own way of doing things. Not all of us are thieves, not all of us are fetty [fentanyl] users. Help those, yes, but don’t blame someone else’s actions on all of us.”
While the sweeps may mean temporary peace and calm to homeowners and businesses, they can represent upheaval and uncertainty to the houseless population. “They can just come out here right now and just take my stuff, and they wouldn’t even care,” says Will, adding, “It’s ridiculous that they’re allowed to do that.” He recalls that two months ago, “they came down with tow trucks, and they told everyone they had 20 minutes to get their stuff out of their RVs, and they started hooking them up and taking them—taking their homes.” He explains that in sweeps, getting possessions back is not always guaranteed, as oftentimes, “they don’t even have the stuff anymore, and they’re supposed to.”
Houselessness is complicated, and there’s no perfect solution. Will states of Wilson’s shelter bed plan, “It doesn’t matter how many they build, it’s the way they treat us.” The balance of addressing both immediate needs and underlying causes is difficult, and it is key to keep empathy and understanding at the center of conversations around houselessness. Will expresses that most of the houseless population “are just trying to survive and live our lives,” stating, “We’re trying to make sure that the people who are making it hard on us stop…but it’s not that easy when we continuously get shunned because of what they do.”
As Portland continues to grapple with the growing crisis of houselessness, balancing compassion and practicality is a challenge. For some residents, steps such as installing deterrents and city sweeps are a way to reclaim a sense of safety and stability in their neighborhoods. For many who are unhoused, those same actions feel like further exclusion. Meaningful progress will depend on acknowledging the frustrations of both sides and ensuring that solutions are built not just for, but with, those most affected.