Mayor Wilson responds via staffers
Chief of staff, communications specialist field the NW Examiner's questions
The NW Examiner requested an interview with Mayor Keith Wilson last month for the purpose of writing a profile of his first months in office. While I did not receive a direct answer to that request, his deputy chief of staff, Taylor Wyatt, and Portland Solutions communications specialist Rob Layne II asked that I provide a list of questions as a preliminary step.
No interview has been granted, but Layne said the answers below were written by the mayor.
Q: Your campaign promise to end unsanctioned camping was well received by mainstream voters on all sides—from the homeowners to social service agencies to progressives. Was that because each sector saw the promise in different terms, differences that would inevitably rise at the implementation stage? Did you hope to overcome that natural divide with quick success that would be obvious to all? Is so, why did that quick success not materialize?
A: My campaign was open about my goals, and shared the successful methods found in cities we sought to learn from and ultimately duplicated. I also shared hundreds of pages of research and planning, debated with other candidates, interviewed with local and regional media outlets, and engaged daily with thousands of future constituents across the city.
Since my election, I’ve participated in interviews, public testimony, the city budget process, public safety ride-alongs, facility walkthroughs, listening sessions, community meetings, shared progress updates and provided details about my plan to end unsheltered homelessness. While public questions and disagreements remain part of the landscape, I’ve found a community ready to embrace the best practices from across the nation.
There is no quick solution to any of the work before us. We do, however, have all the ingredients needed to repair, restore and revitalize Portland.
Q: If there are 1,500 shelter beds by Dec. 1, would you consider that fulfillment of your promise to end unsanctioned camping?
A: We have committed to providing a safe bed for every person, every night, but that is only one piece of a larger strategy. Unsheltered homelessness is a humanitarian and public health crisis, and my promise was an emergency response that would end it in Portland.
Q: Why must 1,500 shelter beds be available before the camping ban can be enforced if there are more than enough beds to offer the particular individuals who are found to be camping illegally?
A: We are still scaling to reach the necessary capacity. While reaching 1,500 beds remains an important goal, we likely don’t need to fully reach this goal to begin enforcing existing laws. We do, however, require adequate shelter capacity to always give someone a better, lifesaving option than living on the streets.
Q: Has any camper to date been given the ultimatum to accept a shelter bed or face arrest?
A: No response from Wilson, but Layne suggested that the Portland Police Bureau could better answer this question.
Q: Do you expect more support from City Council members for your shelter rollouts? District 4 representatives have said they want your program to succeed, but they have not specifically addressed the resistance you are facing from westside neighbors.
A: I am grateful for the incredible support I’ve received, not just from District 4 council members, but from the state of Oregon, Metro, Multnomah County and everyday Portlanders across the city. We’re now in the early days of our shelter rollout. The anxiety many feel is understandable, even against the backdrop of an unacceptable status quo that serves neither the housed nor the unhoused. I’d like the opportunity to stand by my word and deliver on the assurance that these shelters will contribute to tangible benefits for shelter neighbors and a better Portland.
Q: Are neighborhood activists entitled to any concessions or accommodation when they do not have legal or procedural standing to block your mission?
A: A safe and empowered neighborhood is a strong neighborhood. I strongly believe our neighborhood activists play a critical role, and conversations about their interests are welcome and ongoing.
As mayor, I have a short memory for conflict, and a long memory for compassion and teamwork. A year from now, I hope to stand shoulder to shoulder with many of those who currently oppose this project as we reflect on what we accomplished together by listening and working with each other.
“A safe and empowered neighborhood is a strong neighborhood.”
That’s what the mayor says — but his actions tell a different story.
Despite the vital role neighborhood activists play, he has yet to face them — or the broader community — directly. Instead, he continues to rely on staff to speak on his behalf, often withholding key information and avoiding full transparency.
We’ve only learned in the past few weeks that 275 individuals are planned to be sheltered in two facilities, for only 10 hours before being released to the streets — even during cold and rain of winter. That is not a humane solution. It’s a revolving door that fails those who need real, lasting support.
The mayor owes it to residents, business owners, and the unhoused to be present, transparent, and accountable. That includes showing up in person and engaging with the Pearl and Northwest neighborhood residents and business owners at the joint meeting on:
🗓 Monday, July 28th
🕠 5:30 PM
📍 Portland Center Stage at The Armory
Unless, of course, he fails to show up — again.
If the mayor truly believes in empowered neighborhoods, it’s time to prove it — by listening, showing up, and leading with integrity!
We see a lot about we're all in this together, it takes all of us to solve this problem, and so on. I'll agree completely to that. Gladly have paid more in taxes, donated to groups, shelters should be small and scattered around not centered in one neighborhood so this might include my neighborhood, clearly this is a humanitarian and health crisis for the homeless. Yet it is also a crisis of a different sort to the rest of the city.
One thing I would like to see is consistent mention from all involved parties that just like the housed and the local businesses have responsibilities, we should also be saying that the homeless themselves also have responsibilities. I have many times written to various agencies working on solving this problem, polite prompt thorough replies every time but always backing away from making that statement...the homeless themselves also have responsibilities to work with the rest of us.
These responsibilities include not behaving in such a manner that it obstructs in any way a business owner's or a customer's access to the site of business. This includes access to doorways, parking spots, sidewalks, all free of trash, hazardous waste, and any threats to one's personal or property safety while accessing that business. Same goes for someone's residence. It should be entirely possible and expected that campers and homeless could be present without being obstructive.
The legal decisions that allow a camper to not be 'criminalized for camping' when no home is available for them have been interpreted to take away the rights of a camper's neighbors when a camper or group of campers decide to set up anything other than a clean and brief residence on that site.
Just as the limit to anyone's property rights is reached when the exercise of those rights prevents a neighbor from exercising theirs, the same would seem to apply to how and to much stuff a homeless camper can set up in front of someone else's home or business.
I appreciate the mayor's attention to this problem, and wish him and all of us every success on this difficult issue.