PORTLAND, Oregon — Just north of the Steel Bridge, Aaliyah Mays lives in a condo she hoped would bring her peace. What she didn't know was the homeless camp across the street under the bridge would come with it. She’s been threatened by those living at the camp, causing her to fear leaving her house alone.
"I feel like a prisoner. I feel like a prisoner in my home," Mays said.
She's referring to the large, long-time homeless camp off Northwest Naito Parkway under the Steele Bridge commonly known as The Pit. She doesn't drive and relies on the MAX train. She has to walk by the camp to get there, which she says isn't always safe.
"I was threatened by a man with a large hunting knife," Mays said. "I’ve never been that scared in my life."
She's not alone. Her neighbor, who didn't want to be identified, said she was attacked while passing the camps. She identifies as transgender and moved to Portland to find community.
"They started punching me and telling me that people like me weren't welcome here and if they saw me here again, they would make me sorry," she said. "I ended up with a fractured eye socket, a broken nose, a couple of broken ribs. I was bleeding everywhere and when they were done, they threw me off the bank there about 10 feet."
These neighbors have reported the camps to the city more than 100 times over two years.
"I’ve taken as many videos, pictures, everything," Mays said. "I’ve now taken to posting them on social media."
Camps that block city sidewalks break the rules of a settlement the city agreed to earlier this summer. The settlement came from a lawsuit filed against the city by a group of 10 Portlanders with mobility disabilities claiming encampments blocking sidewalks make it impossible for them to safely get around the city.
As part of that settlement, starting on July 1, camps were no longer allowed to block city sidewalks and the city was required to prioritize removing them among other things. The city said the camps blocking sidewalks in Old Town by Northwest Glisan and 2nd Avenue have been removed five times in the past eight weeks. The city said they cannot prevent people from occupying that space without creating structural barriers that would also block ADA access.
John DiLorenzo is the attorney behind the lawsuit that spurred the settlement with the city of Portland.
"It's a $20-million deal; the city is supposed to be allocating $8 million this year to prioritize removals," DiLorenzo said, adding that he's optimistic the city will take it seriously.
"I get around on this scooter, this is my only means of getting around because I can't walk," said Sandra, who travels through Old Town daily. "I have to cross the street because I can't get past the tents. I have to roll over blankets and clothes and just trash."
In two months, the city has removed roughly 200 to 400 campsites that block sidewalks. As part of the settlement, people with a qualifying disability under ADA can file an accommodation request in tandem with submitting a campsite report to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, which will make it a priority assessment. As of July 26, there have been 24 of those requests made since May 31, according to city data.
"Mayor Wheeler strongly believes that everyone should have access to sidewalks to navigate the city safely, and this is especially true for Portlanders with mobility challenges. The settlement helps prioritize our efforts to ensure accessibility to sidewalks which we are working to preserve using every resource we have available," stated Cody Bowman, a spokesperson for Mayor Ted Wheeler.