EIGHT
EIGHT PERCENT OF THE STATE'S POPULATION, NEARLY HALF THE
POPULATION THERE WITH FOUR
SHOT.
SHOT.
SHOT. NOW
SHOT. NOW I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON A
STORY THAT WE COVERED LET'S SAY
SIX MONTHS AGO.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE BUT IF
YOU LIVE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO
LAURELHURST PARK YOU PROBABLY
SAY WHAT IS TIME REALLY?
>> BECAUSE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALWAYS LOOK
LIKE THIS AT THIS POINT.
KENSON ARV'S STILL LINING THE
PARK JUST LIKE THEY DID IN
NOVEMBER WHEN THE CITY CLEARED
EVERYONE OUT.
EVERYONE OUT. WELL NOW CAMPERS ARE BACK
AND THEY'VE GOT BACK UP
ACTVISTS THEY SHOW UP THERE
EVERY SINGLE DAY TO COOK PEOPLE
FOOD AND PROTEST THE CITY'S
PRACTICE OF CLEARING HOMELESS
CAMPERS.
CAMPERS.
CAMPERS. SO WHAT TO DO?
THE ACTIVISTS SAY CLEARING OUT
THESE CAMPS WOULD BE INHUMANE.
>> CAMPERS SAY SERVICES ARE
HARDER HARDER TO GET DURING
THIS PANDEMIC AND WE KNOW
PORTLAND HAS A HOUSING SHORTAGE
ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
NEIGHBORS FRANKLY ARE TERRIFIED
AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE
TO TURN.
TO TURN.
TO TURN. SO WHAT'S NEXT?
>> HERE'S MAGGIE VOSPER.
I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE NO
MORE.
MORE.
MORE. I
MORE. I BEEN TO IT'S BEEN TOO LONG TO
DEAL WITH AN ENVIRONMENT AS
CHAOTIC AS US.
>> NO ONE WE MET LIVING ALONG
LAURELHURST PARK THANKS.
THIS IS WORKING.
THAT INCLUDES CHRISTOPHER KIRBY
WHO'S BEEN HOMELESS SINCE HE
WAS THIRTEEN.
WAS THIRTEEN. >> I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LIVE
LIKE YOU BUT WHETHER IT'S
WORKING OR NOT THIS
WHAT'S
WHAT'S HAPPENING SIX MONTHS AFTER THE
CITY CLEARED CAMPERS FROM THE
SOUTHEAST PORTLAND
SOUTHEAST PORTLAND NEIGHBORHOOD, DOZENS ARE BACK
AND THIS TIME ACTIVE FOLLOWED.
>> YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE IF
PEOPLE DIDN'T ASK US TO BE
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. STOP THE SWEEPS IS ONE OF A FEW
GROUPS HERE.
GROUPS HERE. THEY MAKE CAMPRES FOOD AND VOW
TO IN THEIR MINDS PROVIDE
PROTECTION FROM THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS A
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH THE
RESIDENTS AND WITH THE
ORGANIZATION AND TO TO PROTECT
THEM AGAINST THE SWEEP'S.
THE PROBLEM IS MANY HERE ARE
BATTLING ADDICTION AND MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES AND THIS SETUP
HAS BRED CHAOS.
NEIGHBORS ARE EXHAUSTED
AND AFRAID.
AND AFRAID. >> PEOPLE KNOW OUR NAMES.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, WE WORRY THAT
THAT'S OUR ONE CONCERN.
ONE COUPLE ONLY WANTED TO TALK
VIA PHONE FOR FEAR
OF RETRIBUTION.
OF RETRIBUTION. THEY LIVE NEAR THE CAMP AND SAY
THEY'VE ENDURED THREATS, THEFT
AND ATTEMPTED BREAK INS.
THEY HEAR SCREAMS AT NIGHT
EARLY MONDAY MORNING THEY TOOK
THIS PHOTO AFTER A TENT
EXPLODED.
EXPLODED.
EXPLODED. >> THERE WERE THOSE PROPANE
TANKS NEXT TO THE FIRE.
IT WAS A HUGE IT WAS IT WAS
MASSIVE.
MASSIVE.
MASSIVE. >> CAMPERS SAY IT WAS AN
ACCIDENT AND NO ONE WAS HURT.
THERE'S MANY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO
MAKE THIS A HOUSED AGAINST OUR
OWN HOUSE SITUATION AND THAT IS
JUST SIMPLY NOT TRUTHFUL OR
ACCURATE TJ BROWNING IS THE
SAFETY CHAIR OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. THIS SITUATION VICTIMIZES THE
HOUSE AND THE UN HOUSED SHE
CALLS THIS A LOSE LOSE
SITUATION AND PUTS ALL THE
BLAME ON CITY HALL.
SHE THINKS CITY OFFICIALS DON'T
GET HOW FRIGHTENING THIS HAS
BEEN AND HOW MUCH PEOPLE IN
THIS CAMP NEED SERIOUS HELP.
>> HERE'S ONE STORY SHE TOLD US
WE HAD A CHILD COME OUT
OF THEIR FRONT DOOR INTO THEIR
FRONT YARD.
FRONT YARD. A WOMAN MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
I UNDERSTAND I HAVE EMPATHY,
COMPASSION.
COMPASSION. HOWEVER, SHE SAW THAT CHILD
CAME RUNNING ACROSS THE PARK
ACROSS THE PARKING STRIP TO HIM
AND WAS SCREAMING AT HIM I'M
GOING TO KILL YOU.
>> I'M GOING TO KILL YOU.
AFTER MONTHS OF NEIGHBORS
SUMMITTING COMPLAINTS
SUMMITTING COMPLAINTS AND DOCUMENTING CONCERNS, KGW
LEARNED OF A POSSIBLE
BREAKTHROUGH.
BREAKTHROUGH. A MEETING FRIDAY AFTERNOON
BETWEEN THE CITY AND ACTVISTS
HERE A REP CONFIRMS A STAFF
FROM ALL FIVE CITY
COMMISSIONERS OFFICES WERE
THERE ADDING THE CITY HAS
FLAGGED MULTIPLE SAFETY
AND SANITATION CONCERNS THAT
WARRANT CLEARING THE CAMP.
GRANTED, BROWNING WISHES THE
NEIGHBORHOOD COULD HAVE ALSO
BEEN AT FRIDAY'S MEETING.
>> WE'RE NOT LOVEIT IT STILL
ACTVISTS SAID THESE
CONVERSATIONS COULD LEAD TO
CAMPERS LEAVING VOLUNTARILY.
IN SHORT, BENJAMíN DONLON TOLD
US AMID A BOOMING HOUSING
CRISIS AND A PANDEMIC, CAMPERS
FEEL SAFE LIVING LIKE THIS.
BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE HERE
.
.
. GIVE
. GIVE THEM LAND TO BUILD
ORGANIZE TINY HOUSE VILLAGES,
HE SAYS.
HE SAYS.
HE SAYS. AND PEOPLE WILL GLADLY MOVE.
>> I THINK THAT IF THE CITY
ALLOWED FOR PEOPLE TO
AUTONOMOUSLY BUILD UP THEIR OWN
COMMUNITIES THAT YOU WOULD SEE
A LOT OF FUN HOUSE PEOPLE
PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES
AND REALLY STRONG WAYS KGW IS
WAITING ON THE RESULTS OF THAT
MEETING SO WE'RE NEIGHBORS WHO
WILL REMIND YOU THE CITY HAS