Portland deserves safe and livable streets and public spaces.
We believe that the issue isn’t housing status but behavior.
Nonetheless …
Survey: 34% of Portlanders may leave the city because of homelessness
KGW is tackling the issue with a recent survey and television feature: #TentCityUSA
KGW writes: Homelessness has such a significant impact on Portlanders’ daily lives that 34 percent are considering moving out of the city because of the issue, according to a new survey from DHM Research.
In addition, more than half of Portlanders are dissatisfied with the way the mayor and police bureau are addressing homelessness.
KGW commissioned the survey as part of a larger project about homeless tent camping in Portland. The project, Tent City, USA, launches Monday at 6 p.m. on KGW-TV and online at tentcitypdx.com.
DHM Research, a nonpartisan and independent research and consulting firm, surveyed 300 Portlanders representative of the city’s population, based on age, gender, race, education level and area in which they live. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 5.7 percent.
The results show that homelessness is highly visible. The average Portlander sees someone living in a tent and someone panhandling five times a week. Residents said they see drug paraphernalia and human waste or urine more than twice a week.
Being homeless is not a crime. Littering is. The city needs to start enforcing our litter laws. I notice a few small minority of the homeless population, keep their camps neat, tidy and free of trash and litter. The vast majority do not. I don’t need to elaborate, because EVERYONE has seen what I am talking about. Most of the homeless are not currently employed and thus have plenty of time on their hands to clean up after themselves. They choose not to. Wouldn’t it be nice if the city started a litter patrol and hired homeless people to do the job. It would be a win-win. The city look like ALL of the residences respected and took pride in where they live. People on the street, newly employed and respected in the community for their work, would start a self-reliant path off of a life on the streets.