The homelessness crisis in the blue city of Portland, Oregon is forcing locals to migrate to safer places amid the fear of violence. Reportedly, residents are fed up with the homeless camps outside their residences.
This is urging them to move elsewhere to avoid daily encounters with homeless people, most of whom are suffering from a variety of mental disorders.
Portlanders Done With Lawlessness Crisis
One Portlander, Maria Inocencio, told local media outlet KGW8 that the prevailing mental illness issues in homeless people scare her badly.
Another resident, Mark Smith, who has a homeless camp next to his backyard, stated people are facing extremely dangerous situations while trying to go from one end of the street to the other.
Likewise, Greg Dilkes, a 30-year resident of Portland, established this is the first time he is considering moving out of the city, adding he does not feel good about living there anymore.
Real Estate broker Lauren Iaquinta insisted people usually do not worry about homeless camps in their neighborhood, as long as they can park their cars safely in their driveway. However, these crises are testing people to their limits.
Potential buyers are also concerned about the homeless camps in the Portland neighborhoods, according to Laquinta.
The real estate broker likewise emphasized some areas of the city, especially North Portland, are relatively safer places to live, considering the low number of homeless camps in that area.
Frustrated families in Dem-led Portland are selling their HOMES as homeless camps go up outside their front doors! pic.twitter.com/ipUFnrWyd2
— DaneG (@Dane__Garcia) August 17, 2022
These homeless camps have destroyed a landmark biking area of the Peninsula Crossing Trail, which urged the locals to call the city administration for help.
Tom Karwaki, the chair of the neighborhood association, told KGW8 that nonprofit organizations should step up to create a Safe Rest Village for homeless people so that everyone lives in peace.
If the government takes prompt action to denounce the prevailing lawlessness, Portlanders will feel safe in the city.
Downtown Portland luggage store, boarded up with homeless sleeping in the front entry. " Your journey begins here " @tedwheeler @Mingus4Portland @DanRyanPDX @JoAnnPDX @CommRubio You need to lead better , please….. pic.twitter.com/HRVLjXiVya
— Joe Squires (@PDXJoeSquires) August 16, 2022
Activists Demand Government Take Decisive Action to Tackle Homelessness
Meanwhile, some homeless people have told KGW8 that locals should not be afraid of them just because they are living on the roads.
TT Sanchez, a homeless individual who has a camp along the Peninsula Crossing Trail, asserted homeless people are the least harmful individuals Portlanders will ever meet.
Although the mayor’s office claims there are almost 6,000 homeless people in the city, critics believe the actual number is much higher.
Homeless shelter activists are advising the government to focus on multiple issues in order to solve the prevailing housing crisis in the city.
Matt Lembo, a board member of an alternate shelter community of Portland Beacon Village, argued the homeless crisis should not be tackled in isolation since these crises go hand in hand with the drug crisis.
In 2020, Oregon became the first state in the country to decriminalize many hard drugs, including heroin, oxycodone, LSD, and methamphetamine. This intensified the drug crisis throughout the state.
This article appeared in Right Wing Insider and has been published here with permission.
