Has city been 'turned over to the homeless?'
Neighbors tell City Council committee what they think of coming shelters
The city of Portland and state of Oregon established a system in which emergency shelters can be approved without citizen participation, so opponents of the proposed 200-bed overnight facility at 1435 NW Northrup have found other ways to register their disapproval. They did just that at last month’s forum hosted by the adjacent neighborhood association and at Tuesday’s meeting of the council’s Homelessness and Housing Committee, which had an open comment period.
All 11 who testified at the committee meeting spoke against the Northrup shelter, and all 69 who submitted written testimony were opposed. No other subject was raised. Turning a deaf ear to the people has only led to more plentiful and more insistent pleas.
The 30-minute comment period began with Northwest District Association President Todd Zarnitz telling council members to “wake up” and recognize the connection of drug addiction to homelessness. Zarnitz
Judi Kloper told the story of her daughter who lived on streets for years until she decided to get clean and address her problems. Kloper
Ninety-year-old Mary Lou Cavendish shared her anguish at a city she loves being “turned over to the homeless.” Cavendish