From Street Roots, May 20, 2008
Homeless organizers made headlines and history in 2000, when people came out of the doorways to protest the city’s camping ordinance. In the past eight years, homeless protests and actions have ebbed and flowed, fighting ordinances that target people on the streets. The following is a chronology of those actions, legal battles and policy decisions.
2000
October 12: Out of the Doorways is launched by Street Roots and a group of activists living on the streets. The campaign is launched because of the lack of shelter space and in defiance of the city’s anti-camping ordinance.
December 16: A group of eight men and women pitched five tents under the Broadway Bridge, and Camp Dignity, later to become Dignity Village, was born. Two days later police sweep the camp. The group immediately sets up another camp under the Fremont Bridge. A shopping cart parade is used to transport materials from one camp to another and to gain media attention.
December 26: The camp swells in numbers. Villagers are forced to move yet again. They immediately set up a new camp under the Morrison Bridge, on the waterfront.
2001
Dignity Village becomes a media phenomenon on TV and radio stations throughout Portland and the nation. Images of people in wheelchairs and the shopping cart parades are brought to people’s living rooms. Most newspapers in Portland cover the camp as being underdogs who had no true vision or way to sustain themselves. The Oregonian editorial board calls for the city to sweep the camps. Street Roots acts as a sounding board for many of the villagers, and becomes the organization’s fiscal sponsor until 2003, when the Village becomes its own nonprofit.
January 21: The village moves from under the Morrison Bridge back to the Fremont Bridge. More than 100 people are now camping out in defiance of the city’s camping ordinance. The camp lasts nine months at this location.
September 1-7: The camp under the Fremont Bridge is swept, and after months of press from local and national media outlets, the city negotiates a temporary location for the village. The group splits into three factions. One group goes to a 40-acre farm outside of Portland; one group heads to Sunderland Yard, where the Village currently resides; another group begins a new camp on Naito Parkway, otherwise known as the Field of Dreams.
September 11: Field of Dreams is swept and several individuals identifying themselves as the Homeless Liberation Front are arrested for camping on public lands. All of the defendants plead not guilty. A judge throws the cases out of court.
2002
August 16: City Hall announces new enforcement guidelines for the city’s “Obstruction as Nuisances” law – essentially banning individuals sitting or lying on a public sidewalk.
September 18: Street Roots, Sisters Of The Road, and Dignity Village, along with more than 250 individuals on the streets and activists, converge on City Hall to protest the newly created sit-lie enforcement guidelines.
2003
March 19: A group of about 15 anti-war activists camp on sidewalks in front of City Hall and across the street on the federally owned Terry Schrunk Plaza, protesting the Invasion of Iraq. Protesters call the demonstration the Portland Peace Encampment.
March 24: Street Roots and Sisters Of The Road launch the Right to Sleep campaign. The campaign urges City Hall to look at alternatives to criminalization, specifically the city’s anti-camping and sit-lie ordinances, which they say unfairly target individuals experiencing homelessness. Hundreds of people experiencing homelessness and activists converge on City Hall; Council Chambers are packed while speakers ask the city to suspend the ordinances.
March 26: Numbers of the Portland Peace Encampment begin to swell. Homeland Security informs the group that they can’t camp in the park or they will be arrested. The Peace Camp moves to the city’s sidewalks, where the police begin to enforce the city’s Obstructions as Nuisances (sit-lie) law. Individuals experiencing homelessness begin to join the action in front of City Hall.
April 14: Police sweep the Peace Camp, confiscating food, clothes, and protest signs. The camp stays.
July 11: Within two weeks, it is swept again, and one person is arrested. Within a month, it is swept a third time, and three people are arrested.
August 11: City Council changes the enforcement guidelines of the sit-lie ordinance. The new guidelines include the restriction of picketers, demonstrations, and gatherings without a permit lasting more than eight hours.
August 13: The Peace Camp is rousted early in the morning and asked to move. Campers return and continue to protest the war on Iraq and the sit-lie law.
August 15: A sit-lie protest is organized by individuals experiencing homelessness and supporting organizations — hundreds of people converge on City Hall in protest. That night six individuals from the Peace Camp are arrested for violating the newly revised sit-lie law. The camp fizzles. Three of the arrestees, along with the newly created Northwest Constitutional Rights Center, will go on to challenge the ordinance.
September 28: Street Roots organizes a three-day sit-lie festival to protest the city’s sidewalk laws on the grounds that they unfairly target homeless people. Two Street Roots writers are arrested for camping on public lands. The defendants plead not guilty. A judge dismisses the cases.
2004
February 27: Dignity Village becomes the first city-sanctioned tent city in North America.
June 24: Portland’s sit-lie ordinance is declared unconstitutional by Circuit Court Judge Marylin E. Litzenberger. The judge’s ruling says the law is unconstitutionally broad and vague. From June 2004 until December 2005 the ordinance is not enforced.
2005
December: A new 18-month pilot sit-lie ordinance is negotiated between people experiencing homelessness, advocates for the homeless, the business community, law enforcement and the City of Portland. During its 18-month tenure, only 19 tickets were issued, eight of which were thrown out of court. Of the 11 remaining cases only one individual was found guilty.
2006
May 1: The Portland Business Alliance requests a six-month extension of the sit-lie ordinance until a new ordinance can be drafted that will allow the police to use broader enforcement guidelines. Many advocates thought the 18-month pilot ordinance implemented in December 2005 was adequate, and allowed for enforcement but didn’t violate human rights.
May 24: Mayor Potter presented City Council with the Street Access for Everyone (SAFE) Resolution, creating a workgroup to address street disorder and sidewalk nuisance problems. Twenty-four organizations representing people experiencing homelessness, law enforcement, the business community and the city work over the next 12 months to develop the strategy. Between May 2006 and August 2007 the ordinance is not enforced.
December 14: Street Roots comes out against the newly proposed sit-lie ordinance that makes it illegal to sit or lie on a sidewalk from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
2007
January: The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, originally part of the 24 organizations that helped develop the SAFE committee recommendations, pulls its support of the ordinance. The ACLU says the ordinance goes too far by not allowing individuals sitting on stools or chairs, and limits protesters’ rights
March 14: Street youth gather in Waterfront Park to protest the city’s sit-lie ordinance. The group marches to City Hall to deliver their concerns to Mayor Potter.
May: Portland City Council implements the SAFE workgroups recommendations to create a homeless day access center, a public restroom plan and create park benches.
June: The City of Portland delays enforcement of the sit-lie ordinance until 25 park benches are installed and showers and lockers are installed in a homeless day access center.
August 15: City begins enforcement of the new sit-lie ordinance.
December: First reports from the Portland Police indicate that the vast majority of people cited under the sit-lie ordinance are people experiencing homelessness.
2008
April: Eight individuals experiencing homelessness camp out on the sidewalks of City Hall protesting the city’s anti-camping and sit-lie ordinances. The individuals had recently been swept from under downtown bridges.
May 1: The group swells to around 70 people experiencing homelessness demanding an end to the city’s anti-camping and sit-lie ordinances.
May 8: Sisters Of The Road ends its involvement with the Safe Access for Everyone (SAFE) oversight committee because of the committee’s refusal to consider repealing the sit-lie ordinance.
May 10: Seven people are arrested. Six are arrested for interfering with a police officer, and one for resisting arrest. Two weeks later, police post an “Illegal Campground” notice, giving the protestors until May 13 to disperse
May 12: Camp swells to 140 people.
May 15: Camp is swept early in the early morning; protest continues
May 31, 2008 at 6:51 pm
There’s a small strip of city property next to my house where two homeless Vietnam vets lived for five years. The police explained a few times that they couldn’t remove the men because the City of Portland wouldn’t let them. My brother and I spoke to the vets and they seemed harmless enough and promised never to go onto my property – I was told this was all I could do.
Two days ago, I discovered that the vets were gone and I was stunned by just how happy and relieved I felt. I’m a single mother with two children. I’m also a caring person but I have an obligation and an instinct to protect my family. I am sorry for homeless people who want shelter and can’t find it, but it has been very stressful to have men living so far outside social rules and mores living a few feet over my property line – I didn’t realize how stressful until the stress was suddenly gone. It really did feel like a heavy weight had been physically lifted off my shoulders.
Not only was I periodically frightened (why is the tub inexplicably filthy on a day when the windows are left open? What happened to all the tomatoes in the garden? Did my daughter really see someone at the window?) but I was also very tense when it was freezing cold or pouring rain, even though our homeless guys were campers who didn’t want a shelter bed or affordable housing. They had desks and a table and chairs as well as tents and sleeping bags and had been sent to us after living on the property of a Christian church for over 20 years. These men had defined their freedom and attained it. Does anyone have a plan for the campers?
This morning, after two days of this wonderful, free feeling and while I was mowing the city’s property, I discovered that a new man has pitched his tent behind my house. He’s a foot taller and two hundred pounds heavier than I am. I spoke with him (he’s on my property so at the very least, he’ll have to move twenty feet or so) and he’s agreed to leave by this time next week, but I know another or others will come, if he leaves. It’s a convenient spot to downtown and fairly hidden. The fellow said right away, “I don’t have to go; this is city property!” It isn’t possible that the police are actually shuttling people to this space like realtors, is it?
I’ve been tense for five years and not even admitting it to myself because I wanted to be politically correct and think of myself as compassionate and liberal but I cannot live like this any more. Should I sell my house? Who would buy it? I won’t be able to send my children to college if I have to sell it at a deep discount – this collateral is my plan for tuition and I’m lucky to have it. Plus, we just love our little house; it’s the first one I’ve owned.
Talking to and helping the homeless as part of a job – or just thinking about the homeless from behind a newspaper – is very different from seeing the homeless through the trees in your back yard every day and hearing the twigs snap as they visit their privy. “Fewer police sweeps” does not appeal to me. Each case ought to be considered individually – in some cases, it’s appropriate to move the homeless; in other cases, it’s not.
The old, dead ideas about fixing the problem are actually painful to hear. Section 8, shelters, low-income housing. All good ideas coming from people who never talked to the homeless people I’ve known. The new fellow has a beautiful, insulated tent, a boom box, furniture – even (apparently) a cell phone. His new home looks like a studio apartment, and we can see it from our living room window. Beyond it is a road and beyond that, nothing much. It is just him and me and my children.
I welcome advice but I hope any accusation that I am a “not in my back yard” sort of person will come only from people who have homeless people in their back yards.
July 9, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I am saddened to read your OMG homeless people live near me stress report?!
Almost every sentence seemed so fluffy intended sooooo I am a mother, a home owner, parent, etc….and then to be followed with OOOOOooo there is this “man” living behind my house. OMG!!!
You speak of these people like they are a disease that could “infect” you and your family. You talk about “these homeless men” like they are Ex- rape O murdering convicts.
The sad sad irony is anyone can be homeless. Thousand of good decent loving kind people are homeless in Portland.
It is also so sad that your “scared of them”. Are you scared of the 200 lb man who lives two house down. No ? … Is it because he has a house to live in that makes him “Not a Worry to you compared to newer taller man?”
A homeless person has a cell phone OMG that cant be possible. If they are homeless they should have only the use of nonexistent pay phone or have no phone service period! Do you hear what you sound like? Who cares if he has a phone… Am I assuming you think he is not good enough to have one or he doesn’t need one because he is poor or homeless?
I know those were not your points.
I know that I am not addressing your stress issue.
But your happy little area (that is not your property) that allows you to mow the lawn there anyway to suit your agenda yet/but not like it when others are there in the same space.
This all seems all too… OMG there is man with no home …quick get the kids inside!!
Your family wants the empty lot there for themselves?! You with a warm shelter want it all for yourself, and those with tents and desks need to just….. GO ….. somewhere just not in back of “my backyard”
I have slept with the homeless in solidarity, I also own my own home. I would not mind in the least having those without share the land with me. I am concerned when I see others less fortunate than me.
I have taught my kids to respect all people and to reach out in love to those who have nothing. Not in my backyard does not apply to me, I too am considering selling my home … but for me it would be to give it to the homeless
The homeless are not in your back yard.(Well the one guy needed to move 20 yards you said) Why not cook a apple pie for them or let them borrow your hose if they need it. Then again you can reserve those neighborly things for people who already have them and live in a “home” rather than in a tent.
I am sad you feel so much stress from people who have no home and are living in poverty that you have to witness. I wish you and your family didn’t have to see them or hear the twigs break.
One last point…
If they are “peeking in your windows,” breaking and entering, raping, stealing, etc then they should be ARRESTED.
The tomatoes Maybe you could share with them if they help you watch over your garden. Including them if it is possible may gain you respect friendship and honor. I do not advocate crime when it affect others…. but breaking twigs or using nicely lined tents doesn’t bother me one tiny bitsy witsy tiny bit at all
December 30, 2008 at 12:36 am
Although it is tempting to be angry at Wendy’s comments, especially reading about the ‘wonderful free feeling’ she has now that there are no homeless people in sight, I think we could learn here about the kind of unexplained ’stress’ that many people feel to see homeless people in their neighbourhood.
Wendy mentioned something about the men ‘living so far outside social rules’ and it might serve to help explain some of people’s kneejeck reaction to the homeless.
I think perhaps Wendy feels that since the men are unwilling to be sheeple like most folks and live a life of slavery and toil and follow all kinds of unjust laws, that they might possibly not respect any law, and be capable of ANYTHING.
I also think people feel guilty sometimes and are just not getting that the way out of the stress is to be part of the solution.
April 2, 2009 at 7:10 am
Wendy,
You are typical of most the capitalist PIGs called Portlanders – you have money and you feel sorry for the homeless so long as they aren’t in your neighborhood or near your business.
I would say to you and your “sheltered” little ones to try just for a day to wear your nastiest dirtiest clothes, don’t eat your gourmet breakfast and Starbuicks and spend the day hungry, bored and rejected in downtown Portland. See if your same “better then they are attitude” holds up the next time you see a homeless person.