(TheProudRepublic.com) – In a giant victory for law, order, and basic common sense, Multnomah County in Oregon has decided to stop the distribution of tents and other camping gear to the homeless, a practice the city of Portland believes is obstructing their efforts to maintain urban cleanliness.
Jessica Vega Pederson, chair of the Multnomah County Commission, has directed the Joint Office of Homeless Services to suspend the acquisition of new tents and tarps and to gather data on the procurement and distribution of these items, as reported by local media.
“I am committed to setting clear policies around tent and tarp distribution,” she stated, as cited by National Review.
“My goal is to reduce the need to hand out tents and tarps by increasing the number of shelter beds and moving more people off the street and out of shelter back into housing,” she added.
The report highlights the escalating tension between Portland city and Multnomah County regarding their fragmented approach to managing the homelessness crisis they jointly face.
Following a lawsuit by a group of disabled residents accusing the city of failing to maintain clear sidewalks, city officials reached a settlement last year mandating the prioritization of encampment removals from sidewalks and the cessation of camping gear distribution to the homeless.
Despite this, the county, via the Joint Office, has continued to distribute camping supplies.
Since last May, over 6,400 tents, 6,600 sleeping bags, roughly 24,000 tarps, and more than 35,000 blankets have been distributed, primarily to nonprofits and religious groups working with the homeless, even as the city has cleared over 4,000 encampments since the previous July.
City officials are now evaluating their ongoing collaboration with the Joint Office of Homeless Services, which is managed by county officials.
Portland is slated to allocate $25 million next year and $31 million the subsequent year to support the Joint Office, a small portion of its nearly $400 million budget.
Some city officials insist that the county must comply with their settlement agreement, which stringently limits the distribution of camping gear to the homeless, especially during severe weather.
City officials have expressed approval of Pederson’s readiness to collaborate on a unified policy.
“I’m very appreciative of this collaborative step. Up, up, and away in making the city a cleaner place,” commented Rene Gonzalez, a Portland commissioner and mayoral candidate.
Mayor Ted Wheeler emphasized the need for a cohesive policy to local media.
“It doesn’t make any sense that with 6,000 homeless people on our streets we would hand out more than 6,000 tents and nearly five times that many tarps. We need to know who is handing out tents and tarps, and under what circumstances,” he said.
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