@ISIDEWITHQuestionsHousing IssuesStarted 3yrs agoActive 1mo ago

Should homeless individuals, that have refused available shelter or housing, be allowed to sleep or encamp on public property?

+
Expand
+ Settings x  

Toggle voterbase

Statistics are shown for this demographic

Answer Overview

Response rates from 3.6k 327 voters.

33%
Yes
67%
No
21%
Yes
65%
No
12%
Yes, and create more social programs to provide free food, clothing, and medicine
2%
No, and make it a criminal offense

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 3.6k 327 voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 3.6k 327 voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from 327 voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @9G5Y4KY answered…1yr1Y

The problem of homelessness tends to often be borne from mental health struggles, addiction and lack of medical diagnosis and treatment. People need love, medical aid and life foundation assistance.

 @9FMBMP6answered…1yr1Y

No. But it is to be made clear that there should be more available shelter to homeless people that are struggling with mental illness, drug use etc.. that does not criminalize their incapablities/struggles.

 @9FDK3MYanswered…1yr1Y

If they don't want to sleep in shelter provided we should be asking why what's wrong with it not move them on to somewhere we can't see them

 @9FDK2GRanswered…1yr1Y

Build large scale temp housing on govt land and then provide resources, programs, health care and rehab, training etc until rehabilitated

 @9D9HCXWanswered…1yr1Y

Yes, as it is public property but they shouldn't stay in the same space 24/7

 @9F693CQanswered…1yr1Y

Perhaps a specified area, not just anywhere

 @9F5NJGBanswered…1yr1Y

Depends on if they’re offered a safe place and not being intimidated by others. It’s not as easy as it seems

 @9DXC8N2answered…1yr1Y

Yes but on conditions of working with social services

Latest News

Stay up-to-date on the most recent “Homeless Encampments” news articles, updated frequently.

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…3mos3MO

Drug Crisis Prompts Portland to Reboot City Government

In a sign of either hope or desperation, Portland voters decided to throw out their entire government structure and replace it with a weaker mayor, expanded City Council and ranked choice voting.A major driving factor was the passage of “Measure 110” decriminalizing all drugs in 2020, which was backed by 74 percent of Multnomah County’s residents. Voters couldn’t — or at least didn’t — anticipate how this policy change would reshape a city already strapped for money, dealing with a public health crisis and confronting rising rates of homelessness and fentanyl abuse.Drug use shot up, homelessness worsened and taxpayers fled.“Political rhetoric in 2020-2021 in the City of Portland was incredibly ideologically driven,” Gonzalez said, explaining that there was a “default conversation” on topics like homelessness or police reform that shut down an exchange of ideas.The City Council race, meanwhile, is mayhem. Portland is switching from four at-large seats to twelve seats representing four districts. The dozens of candidates include Black Lives Matter leaders, nonprofit advocates, business owners and police officers.There are 19 people running for mayor and 98 people seeking seats on the City Council. They’re nearly all campaigning on left-of-center platforms — this is Portland.Pandemic closures, protests, elevated crime rates and rising homelessness buffeted many liberal cities in recent years, including San Francisco and Minneapolis. But policy choices made by the city and state aggravated their impact in Portland.The ramifications are measurable: Nearly 12,000 people moved out of Multnomah County between 2020 and 2023, per data from Portland State University. The exodus between 2020 and 2021 alone took nearly $1.1 billion in taxable income out of the city, according to data analyzed by the Economic Innovation Group. Portland’s once bustling downtown is nearly empty, and a negative national reputation clouds its economic future.Drug decriminalization and the city’s open camping rules compounded the feeling of insecurity. Homeless encampments spread through empty public spaces and filled sidewalks during the lockdown, and some became epicenters for the fentanyl trade. Even Portlanders who voted for decriminalization and believe in a compassionate approach to homelessness didn’t feel as safe in their own neighborhoods.