City, state get together on freeway fencing
Order is promised along the perimeter of Northrup Street Shelter
Temporary fencing has been installed around medians formerly used by campers.
Cooperation between the Oregon Department of Transportation and the city of Portland is emerging just when and where it is needed most—along Interstate 405 as the Northrup Street Shelter gears up to expand capacity to 200 overnight beds.
ODOT approved security fencing around medians near Northwest 14th and West Burnside streets and paid $900,000 for the installation, reversing an earlier ruling that fencing could undermine traffic safety.
The temporary fence is to be replaced by permanent fencing in the style of those erected south of Burnside earlier this summer.
Online complaints of nuisances under the freeway have been greeted by notice that “As of July 1, 2025, the City of Portland does not have the authority to address camping or related impacts on Oregon Department of Transportation property. Please report this campsite via ODOT.”
People deciphering the directive to report a problem on streets or sidewalks can, however, register problems with the city.
“The city is partnering with ODOT to complete the fencing projects along Northwest 14th, between Burnside and Couch by paying for some of the initial labor costs. The City has spent $13,050 to pay for landscaping prep work and to pay for the installation of a temporary fence at the location,” Portland Bureau of Transportation spokesperson Laura Rude said.
Maintaining order along the freeway may be pivotal in community acceptance of the shelter on Northwest 15th Avenue. Mayor Keith Wilson has declared a 1,000-foot “engagement zone” around the shelter in which public nuisances will be promptly addressed.
The city website (below) directs complaints to ODOT, although problems on city streets and sidewalks under the freeway are still accepted by the city:
Possibly speaking just for myself (but also, maybe not), this cleanup and fencing should have happened regardless of the multiple shelters now being inflicted on the Pearl. Mitigating camping and unlawfulness should always be a city priority. As an owner of a condo in the area, nothing will make me accept a 200 person low barrier shelter, it is an inordinate and inappropriate burden on the neighborhood.
On Thursday, the encampments under the 405 in the NW Raleigh and NW Quimby area were removed. From my studio window I watched as Rapid Response crews worked all afternoon, moving people and their belongings out from where the site had been steadily growing. By evening, temporary chain-link fencing was going up across the ODOT-managed parcels between NW 15th and 16th.
What had become a sizeable encampment is now contained, with hopes it won’t be breached and turned into another campsite. Like many of you, I’ve reported this location numerous times, so seeing real action on it feels like a small success for both the Northwest and Pearl District.
But this progress didn’t happen on its own. It took time, persistence, and 4 weeks of repetitive reporting from many, many people. Complaining is just that — it doesn’t shift the bar or make needed changes and accountability.
Which is why the Pearl District Neighborhood Association is launching a new short-term pilot effort that enlists neighbors to adopt a designated street (or a few blocks). Once a day—or more if you’re able—do a quick walk or drive-through and officially report visible issues such as camps or tents, large trash piles, loiterers, sleepers, trespassers, drug use and paraphernalia (including needles), human waste, graffiti, car break-ins, smashed windows, or passed-out individuals.
To get more information: northrupshelter@gmail.com
We are all keen to see our homeless get the help they need – this reporting simply will help keep the city accountable for mitigating the livability concerns that accompany low-barrier shelters when they are unwisely located in high-density residential areas.
I must say—it takes persistence, but those efforts make a difference. Don’t give up. Be an ACTIVE part of the solution to the success of our community. REPORT and stay vigilant.