AMERICA.
AMERICA. >>> WE BEGIN WITH A FEDERAL
COURT RULING THAT HAS A DIRECT
IMPACT ON PORTLAND AND OUR
CITY'S HOMELESS CRISIS.
>> THE DECISION WAS HANDED DOWN
THIS WEEK, SAYING THE CITY
CANNOT PROSECUTE PEOPLE FOR
SLEEPING ON THE STREETS WHICH
STEMS FROM A CASE OUT OF BOISE
IDAHO.
IDAHO.
IDAHO. IN
IDAHO. IN 2009 SIX HOMELESS PEOPLE
SUED THE CITY AFTER POLICE
TICKETED THEM FOR SLEEPING
OUTSIDE EVEN THOUGH THE
SHELTERS TURNED THEM AWAY.
THIS WEEK THE NINTH U.S.
CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS CALLED
THAT CRUEL AND UNUSUAL
PUNISHMENT.
PUNISHMENT. THE LAWYERS WHO REPRESENT THOSE
PEOPLE CALLED THE RULING
HISTORIC.
HISTORIC.
HISTORIC. >> THE TAKE AWAY AT THIS POINT
NO CITY SHOULD BE LOOKING TO
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
LIKE PORTLAND?
LIKE PORTLAND? CITIES ARE TAKING A CLOSE LOOK
AT THIS.
AT THIS.
AT THIS. >> Reporter: THE CORE ISSUE IS
HOW OR WHETHER THE CITY COULD
SHELTER ITS HOMELESS
POPULATION.
POPULATION. IN 2009, BOISE SHELTERS WERE
OVERWHELMED AND WERE TURNING
PEOPLE AWAY LIKE THEY DID TO
THOSE SIX PEOPLE.
NOW CITIES ACROSS THE WEST
COAST ARE GRAPPLING WITH THIS
RULING.
RULING.
RULING. ONE PERSON TWEETED THAT
BEAVERTON HAS A RECENT CAR
CAMPING BANNER DOES INTO THIS
CLASH -- BAN DOESN'T THIS CLASH?
>> Reporter: A CRISIS
CONSTANTLY MAKING HEADLINES IN
THE ROSE CITY.
HOMELESS CAMPERS BASICALLY
CONSTANTLY LINING THE SIDEWALK.
EVEN AMID THE NOISE INCLUDING
THAT OF A BUSY CONSTRUCTION
SITE.
SITE.
SITE. EVERYONE NEEDS TO SLEEP.
>> YOUR EXHAUSTED SOMETIMES.
>> Reporter: CAMPERS IN
PORTLAND WORRY THAT FINDING A
PLACE COULD COST THEM A FINE.
>> I GOT A TICKET FOR BEING IN
A TENT.
A TENT.
A TENT. >> IF YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB HOW
WILL YOU PAY THE FINE?
HOW WILL YOU GET A JOB IF YOU
ARE HOMELESS?
ARE HOMELESS? >> Reporter: A FEDERAL COURT
RULING THAT ADVOCATES HOPE THEY
HELP THOSE SLEEPING OUTSIDE,
SLEEP SOUNDLY.
SLEEP SOUNDLY. A JUDGE WRITING "AS LONG AS
THERE'S NO OPTION OF SLEEPING
INDOORS, THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T
CRIMINALIZE INDIGENT HOMELESS
PEOPLE FOR SLEEPING OUTDOORS ON
THE FALSE PREMISE THAT THEY HAD
A CHOICE IN THE MATTER.
KLOPP CO--- THAT THEY HAD A
CHOICE IN THE MATTER."
>> OKAY SO THE QUESTION, HOW
WILL THE EFFECTS OF THIS RULING
PLAY OUT AMID PORTLAND'S
HOMELESS CRISIS?
HOMELESS CRISIS? WE CAME HERE TO ASK.
>> YOU KNOW WE DON'T ISSUE
CITATIONS FOR BEING HOMELESS.
BACK THIS WEEK AT CITY HALL.
THE MONTHLY PRESS CONFERENCE
WITH THE RULING TAKING CENTER
STAGE.
STAGE.
STAGE. >>
STAGE. >> THERE IS NO CODE OR LAW THAT
MAKES HOMELESSNESS A CRIME IN
THE CITY OF PORTLAND.
>> Reporter: A REPORTER PUSHED
BACK POINTING TO A CITY CODE
CALLED CAMPING PROHIBITED ON
PUBLIC PROPERTY AND PUBLIC
RIGHTS-OF-WAY WHICH SAYS A
PERSON WHO SETS UP BEDDING OR
SLEEPING BAGS OR OTHER SLEEPING
MATTER, TENT OR NO TENT COULD
BE FINED UP TO $100 OR PUT IN
JAIL FOR 30 DAYS.
THE MAYOR'S RESPONSE,
>> THE JOINT OFFICE OF HOMELESS
SERVICES PRIORITIZES THOSE
CALLS BASED ON PUBLIC SAFETY,
THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY COULD
GO AND POST THOSE CAMPS. THEN
THEY COULD MOVE THOSE CAMPS IF
THEY ARE REQUIRED BUT DURING
THE 48 HOUR POSTING.
WE TRIED TO GET THEM INTO A
SHELTER OR FRIENDS HOME OR IN
SOME OTHER SITUATION THAN
SLEEPING IN PUBLIC.
>> Reporter: TODAY A BIG SHIFT
POLICE TELLING KGW IN LIGHT OF
THE RULING THAT THEY WILL NO
LONGER BE ENFORCING THE CITY
CODE AND ADDED THAT THEY HAVE
ONLY ISSUED FOUR TICKETS UNDER
THIS SINCE 2016.
OVER IN BEAVERTON, A CITY WHOSE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE THE LARGEST
POPULATION OF HOMELESS STUDENTS
IN OREGON, WE FOUND A MORE
MEASURED ANSWER.
MEASURED ANSWER. >> THE DECISION IS TWO DAYS OLD
AND WE ARE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK
AT THIS.
AT THIS.
AT THIS. >> Reporter: IN LIGHT OF THE
NEW CAR CAMPING BAN ENACTED IN
JUNE, GETTING PEOPLE CAUGHT
SLEEPING IN THE CAR THREE DAYS
TO MOVE IT AND IF THEY DON'T
THEY WILL BE FINED UP TO $100
WERE SPENT 30 DAYS IN JAIL.
POLICE SAY THAT THE BAN WAS
NEEDED.
NEEDED.
NEEDED. >> WE WERE SEEING SANITATION
ISSUES OR DRUG USE OR CALLS FOR
SERVICE REGARDING ASSAULT.
>> Reporter: CAMPERS WERE
STUNNED WHEN THE ORDINANCE
PASSED.
PASSED.
PASSED. >> YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
CHANGING PEOPLE IN THEIR 50s
SET IN THEIR WAYS ON DRUGS,
GOOD LUCK.
GOOD LUCK. >> Reporter: NOW IT'S BEING
EXAMINED AGAIN.
EXAMINED AGAIN. PEOPLE HERE HAVE NOWHERE FREE
TO PARK.
TO PARK.
TO PARK. CITY REPS SEE THE PARALLEL AND
SAY THAT THEY ARE WORKING TO
FIX THIS.
FIX THIS.
FIX THIS. >> ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE
TRYING TO DO WITH THIS
ORDINANCE COMING INTO EFFECT IS
LAUNCHING WHAT WE ARE CALLING A
SAFE PARKING PROGRAM IN ORDER
TO ALLOW CAMPING ON PRIVATE IS
OWNED PROPERTY.
OWNED PROPERTY. >> Reporter: OFFICIALS SAY THE
CITY STARTED PLANNING MORE OF
THAT PROGRAM WITH THIS WEEK
WITH THE GOAL OF ROUNDING UP
BUSINESSES OR NONPROFITS TO
HOST UP TO HALF A DOZEN CARS
EACH AND HOPE TO HAVE THIS UP
AND RUNNING EARLY NEXT YEAR.
IN THE MEANTIME, THEY WILL KEEP
ENFORCING THE CAMPING MAN WITH
THE GOAL OF AVOIDING --
ENFORCING THE CAMPING BAN WITH
THE GOAL OF AVOIDING TICKETING.
>> WHETHER THIS IS FINANCIAL
ISSUES OR DRUG AND ALCOHOL
ISSUES, WHATEVER BARRIER THAT
MIGHT BE, THE FOCUS IS TO GET
THEM THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO
FIND STABLE HOUSING.
>> Reporter: STABLE HOUSING, BE
IT A BED IN A SHELTER OR A LONG-
TERM SPACE. THAT IS A RESOURCE
THAT IN ALL OF THESE CITIES,
YOU WILL BE HARD-PRESSED TO
FIND.
FIND.
FIND. >>
FIND. >> WE REACHED OUT TO OTHER
CITIES IN THE METRO AREA, THE
CITY ATTORNEYS ARE REVIEWING
THE COURT RULING, SALEM HAS
SAID THEY DETERMINED IT DOESN'T
IMPACT THEM.
IMPACT THEM. WE HAVE COVERED THAT THESE
PLACES HAVE MADE IT HUGE
INVESTMENTS AND HAVE ADDED
COLLECTIVELY THOUSANDS OF BEDS
BUT IN BOTH CITIES THE NUMBER
OF HOMELESS PEOPLE OUTNUMBER
THE SHELTER BEDS.
>>> PORTLAND POLICE WILL NOT
ENFORCE THIS CODE COULD YOU
TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS?
>> THAT CODE HAS ALMOST NEVER
BEEN ENFORCED IN THE PAST IT'S
BEEN OFF TO -- IT HAS BEEN UP
TO THE OFFICERS DISCRETION.
WHEN THEY GO TO THESE CAMPS
THEY ARE THERE TO RESPOND TO
ISSUES REGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY
ISSUES OR SANITATION