PORTLAND, Ore. — Leaders from Multnomah County, the city of Portland and the city of Gresham met with community leaders to discuss the distribution of tents and tarps to homeless people, part of the mutual Homeless Response Action Plan adopted in July.
On Thursday, the steering and oversight committee in charge of implementing the plan took a magnifying glass to the Joint Office of Homeless Services’ tent and tarp policy and took input on how it could be changed.
County data so far in 2024 shows more than 5,000 tarps have been passed out to those experiencing homelessness.
Through a series of surveys and listening sessions, the committee prepared a couple of policy suggestions, along with their popularity with a number of survey participants. Those potential policies ranged from a digital system to track who was receiving tents and tarps to restricting distribution to severe weather events only.
After the committee presented their policy options, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler had a few big questions.
"First of all, what is the goal?" he asked. "And implied in the responses that were given by the individuals and organizations you surveyed, it's apparent that some people view this as a short-term stopgap, and a life-saving measure when inclement weather is potentially life threatening."
He said that others surveyed said they wanted two tents, "one for my buddy and one for my stuff, so it seems to me that people are also thinking of this as a longer-term solution. I think we need to resolve that."
Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez immediately objected: "I think (distribution of tents and tarps) should be excessively rare."
He cited data that 40% of Portland Fire & Rescue's responses are in "unsanctioned encampments," calling it an "incredibly burdensome reality for our first responders."
"There is deep concern among firefighters that it's a false sense of security to hand someone a tent in extreme weather. It is not going to save many people's lives," he continued. "We're seeing a lot of burns that are the result of trying to light a fire inside a tent during cold weather. We need people in a shelter; to me, that should be a policy priority ... We want people in a warm, heated space, not dependent on a fire inside the tent."
Gonzalez has been one of the most vocal critics of the way the county runs the JOHS, taking particular issue with the policy of tent and tarp distribution. Earlier in the summer, he said that Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson had agreed to direct the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) to pause purchasing tents and tarps for distribution.
Other homeless services organizations unaffiliated with city or county government made no such promise, however.
While no decisions were made Thursday, Wheeler said that tough decisions surrounding the homelessness crisis need to be made by this committee instead of going along with the status quo and continuing to kick the can down the road.
"I would argue that this is the best table for us to resolve some very difficult issues to hash out the tough issues, to have the tough conversations you've got," he said. "You've got a chair and a county commissioner. You've got the mayor of Gresham. You have the input of very, very knowledgeable community members and volunteers and staffers. And what I would be disappointed in is if this group becomes conflict-avoidant.
"I think we need to jump right into the fray, and make some tough decisions and then inform our respective boards about the decision we've made, based on the best information that we've been provided."
The group will meet again next week to continue the discussion. They said they hope to have a revised policy in place by next month.