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Portland crews remove 1,408 homeless campsites under ADA lawsuit settlement: 'We shouldn’t have to fight for this'

From July to September, city crews removed more than 1,400 campsites on public sidewalks. Each had an average of three tents.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Tiana Tozer knows what it's like to feel out of place. She's part of a group of Portlanders with mobility disabilities that sued the city last year over tents blocking ADA access on public sidewalks.

"We shouldn't have to fight for this. We shouldn't have to fight to use the sidewalks," she said Monday outside her Northeast Portland apartment.

They settled the case last spring, and the city agreed to remove at least 500 campsites that block sidewalks each fiscal year and provide updates on their progress, among other things. 

The first update came out this week. It shows from July to September, city crews removed 1,408 campsites. Each had an average of three tents.

"So they've removed about 4,500 tents in the last quarter," said John DiLorenzo, the attorney representing those with disabilities.

The city has also invested $16 million into its camp-removal crews. Another part of the settlement was posting "no camping" signs to stop people from returning, which DiLorenzo said isn't happening at large.

"We've got some reports that some of the city contractors are not instructing people who are displaced to not recamp on sidewalks, but we’ll work on that," DiLorenzo said Thursday outside city hall. "This is just the first quarter. I think they're doing a decent job. There's a lot more to be done."

The clear sidewalks can be seen around much of Portland, except in areas like Old Town.

"I’m loading everything up and going to find a new spot," said James, whose camp filled up the sidewalk across the street from Blanchet House. 

"They give us an hour, so whatever we don't have in an hour, they take," said James' friend, Robert.

Rapid Response Bio Clean showed up Thursday morning to remove them.

"I don't like blocking any driveway or walkway," Robert said. "Everyone's got to get around. We try to keep it as clear as possible." He admitted that's hard to do with all he's collected over the years, and it becomes an unrelenting fight on all sides.

"I feel that Portlanders should be able to live in a safe environment without having to fight for it every single day," Tozer said.

The city of Portland is also in the middle of another lawsuit: homeless people sued the city over the daytime ban on camping, which was supposed to start Nov. 13. DiLorenzo is watching that daytime camping ban suit closely to see if it begins to challenge the ADA settlement.

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