OPINIONS
OPINIONS ON THAT. BUT THE MAN LIVING THERE ON THE
STREET FOR A YEAR SHOULD THAT
BE LEGAL PLACES LIKE PORTLAND
AND SALEM HAVE TRIED TO MAKE IT
ILLEGAL IN THE PAST AND FAILED.
THEY TRIED TO PASS A SO-CALLED
SETTLIN ORDINANCES THAT MAKE IT
ILLEGAL FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE TO
SIT OR LIE ON CITY SIDEWALKS.
YOU MAY BE SITTING AT HOME
RIGHT NOW AND SAYING WELL YES,
THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE.
>> I GET EMAILS LIKE THAT EVERY
SINGLE NIGHT.
SINGLE NIGHT. PEOPLE THINK THAT'S HOW WE
SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
BUT WHAT IF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE
NOWHERE TO GO AT NO SHELTERS,
NO TEMPORARY HOUSING, NOWHERE
SHOULD THAT BE ILLEGAL TO BE
HOMELESS AND WITHOUT OPTIONS
SHOULD THAT BE A CRIME?
THE OREGON HOUSE SAYS NO.
>> TODAY THEY PASSED A BILL
THAT WOULD PREVENT CITIES FROM
TICKETING OR ARRESTING PEOPLE
FOR SLEEPING OR RESTING IN
PUBLIC PLACES IF IF THERE IS
NOWHERE ELSE FOR THEM TO GO.
IT CAME OUT OF A SITUATION IN
BOISE RECENTLY WHERE HOMELESS
PEOPLE WERE TICKETED FOR
SLEEPING OUTSIDE EVEN THOUGH AT
THE TIME BOISE HAD A SHORTAGE
OF SHELTER BEDS.
A NINTH CIRCUIT JUDGE RULED ON
THIS AND CALLED IT CRUEL
AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT.
HOUSE BILL THIRTY ONE FIFTEEN
WOULD FOR CITIES IN OREGON TO
COMPLY WITH THAT DECISION.
>> IF YOU CAN'T JUSTIFY MOVING
FOLKS ALONG BECAUSE YOU KNOW
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SHELTER,
THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE A
DIFFERENT STANDARD OF HOW YOU
TREAT THEM AND AND FOR MY
PERCEPTION THAT IS MORE
HUMANELY.
HUMANELY.
HUMANELY. ONE OF OUR VIEWERS, GORDON, HAS
A QUESTION KIND OF ABOUT THIS
WHAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY MEAN IN
THE LONG RUN HE WROTE THIS HEY
DAN H.B. THIRTY ONE FIFTEEN
WHICH CREATES THE RIGHT TO
SLEEP ON PUBLIC PROPERTY IS
SCHEDULED FOR A VOTE.
I'M AT A LOSS AS TO HOW THIS
CONCEPT REALLY ADDRESSES THE
LONG TERM NEEDS OF THE
UNSHELTERED CITIZENS OR THE
GENERAL COMMUNITY.
GENERAL COMMUNITY. WHAT YOUR VIEWERS THINK?
WELL, I AM INTERESTED TO HEAR
WHAT PEOPLE AT HOME THINK SO
PLEASE WEIGH IN.
>> LET ME KNOW USE THE HASHTAG
HEY DAN BUT TO ME THIS POLICY
KIND OF PUTS PRESSURE ON
SOCIETY TO CREATE MORE OPTIONS
FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE ANY
IF YOU WANT TO PUNISH PEOPLE
FOR BEING OUTSIDE FIRST YOU
HAVE TO CREATE THE SHELTER
AND
AND THAT
AND THAT KIND OF PUTS THE PRESSURE ON SOCIETY TO MAKE
THOSE SHELTER BEDS IF THAT'S
WHAT YOU WANT.
>> AND I SAY PRESSURE ALONE
BECAUSE THE BILL DOESN'T
ACTUALLY PROVIDE ANY FUNDING
FOR SHELTERS OR ANY OTHER
SERVICES REALLY I KNOW
RIGHT NOW YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF EITHER
OF THOSE THINGS AND YOU MIGHT
BE THINKING BUT PORTLAND,
MULTNOMAH COUNTY WE HAVE MORE
SERVICES THE MOST CITIES IN THE
COUNTRY IF NOT THE MOST IN SOME
SOME AREAS YOU'RE STILL TELLING
ME THAT THAT IS NOT ENOUGH YAAH
IT'S NOT.
IT'S NOT.
IT'S NOT. >> WE TALK TO DENNIS THRALL.
HE'S MULTNOMAH COUNTY.
>> HE'S WITH MULTNOMAH COUNTY'S
JOINT OFFICE OF HOMELESS
SERVICES.
SERVICES.
SERVICES. HE SAID THAT IN THE PAST FIVE
YEARS WE'VE PASSED THINGS WE'RE
SPENDING MONEY.
SPENDING MONEY. MULTNOMAH COUNTY HAS ADDED MORE
SHELTER BEDS BUT THE NEED HAS
CONTINUED TO OUTPACE THAT WORK
EVEN THOUGH WE'VE ADDED SHELTER
FOLKS ARE STILL BEING PUSHED
OUT OF THEIR HOUSING FASTER
THAN WE CAN GET THEM BACK INTO
HOUSING AND I THINK THAT'S THE
OTHER IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT
SORT OF WHAT WHY WE WOULD NEED
MORE SHELTER, WHY DO WE NEED
MORE HOUSING PLACEMENT BECAUSE
OUR MARKET IS STILL KICKING
PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOUSES
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD RENT
AND WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE IN
THIS SITUATION FOR A WHILE
AND NOW THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER
BILL IN SESSION RIGHT NOW HOUSE
BILL TWENTY THREE SIXTY SEVEN
OR THE RIGHT TO RESTACKED THAT
SEEKS TO DECRIMINALIZE
HOMELESSNESS.
HOMELESSNESS. >> THE BILL SAYS GOVERNMENT'S
SHOULD STOP PUTTING HOMELESS
PEOPLE THROUGH THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM AND INSTEAD
REDIRECT THAT TIME AND REDIRECT
THAT MONEY TO ADDRESS THE ROOT
CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS.
THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE ARE ON
THE STREET AND CAN'T GET OFF
THE STREET NOW THAT DOESN'T
MEAN THAT HOMELESS PEOPLE WOULD
BE ABOVE THE LAW IF THEY
COMMITTED CRIME.
COMMITTED CRIME. IT'S STILL A CRIME, RIGHT ?
BUT THE ACT OF BEING HOMELESS
IN THE OPINION THIS BILL COULD
NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE PENALIZED
LOCAL GOVERNMENT WE'RE NOT
DESIGNED TO SOLVE NATIONAL
LEVEL HOUSING PROBLEMS
AND WE'VE HAD TO PICK UP THE
SLACK QUITE A BIT AND DO A LOT
MORE BUT WE'RE COMMITTED TO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. BUT
THAT. BUT BOY, IF WE REALLY THAT
FEDERAL HELP, THAT'S WHERE THE
SYSTEMIC ISSUES COULD GET
ADDRESSED.
ADDRESSED. BUT SOMEONE'S STATUS, SOMEONE'S
LIVING SITUATION THAT'S NOT
CRIMINAL AND THAT'S NOT
SOMETHING THAT PUNISHING THEM
FOR WILL HELP THEM EVER ESCAPE.
SOMEONE NEEDS SUPPORT.
THEY NEED ASSISTANCE.
>> THEY NEED HELP WITH ANY
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES THEY
MIGHT HAVE.
MIGHT HAVE. THEY'RE GOING TO NEED HELP
GETTING TO DOCTOR'S
APPOINTMENTS.
APPOINTMENTS. THEY'RE GOING TO NEED HELP WITH
TRANSPORTATION AND COSTS
AND THEN THEY COULD BE
SOMETIMES THEY CAN THEY CAN BE
ON THEIR OWN AND THAT WORKS OUT
AND FOR MANY PEOPLE THAT'S THE
CASE NOW HOUSE BILL THIRTY ONE
FIFTEEN THE ONE THAT PASSED
TODAY AND NOW HAS TO GO THROUGH
OREGON SENATE.
OREGON SENATE. THE OTHER BILL HOUSE BILL
TWENTY THREE SIXTY SEVEN HAD A
PUBLIC HEARING THIS WEEK BUT IT