Finally! Out come the torches and pitchforks!

[Lizzie Poppet]

28. I live in downtown Portland, too.

And yes, there are a LOT of homeless folk here. And yes, it seems like a sizable portion of them have rather obvious mental health issues (or equally obvious substance abuse issues, which are effectively the same thing). That so many Americans with these afflictions are basically dumped on the street to fend for themselves is a national disgrace.

Do the (literally) thousands of homeless in P-Town sometimes cause problems that go beyond horrible smells and litter? Absolutely. There is a minority among the homeless who tend towards criminal behavior (and I don't mean being "criminals" because of some "sweep the problem under the rug" anti-camping law, etc.). From petty theft and associated vandalism (breaking the windows out of cars to get at something inside being the most common) to aggressive panhandling that segues into assault, this minority is not just a danger to others, they badly compromise the sympathy and willingness to help out that the rest of the homeless desperately need. I've been in situations where aggressive panhandling had me very much ready to defend myself (I'm small and weak...a person aggressively asking for money and trying to get right up in my personal space puts me on edge).

But so many homeless people aren't like either group (mentally ill or criminally-inclined). They're people who've drawn the short straw, ordinary folk placed in a desperate situation. While recognizing the downside of the "magnet" phenomenon, I'm hoping my city takes some steps to help.