The city announced this morning that it will “resolve” the Harbor View Memorial Park encampment starting on Tuesday, December 19th. In other words, that’s when a sweep of the area will start. This move complies with the city’s policy that enables it to carry out sweeps on city property when beds have been made available but go unfilled. This is currently the situation in Portland.
There have been 12 deaths in 2023. Calls for services have also significantly increased at the Harbor View with 303 calls this year and seven overdoses and one death In 2022, there were 59 calls for services and no overdoses. Not surprising are these figures since the population has grown significantly since the sweep of other encampaments in the city has increased the population exponentially at Harbor View. The city did not mention that the number of calls for service calls at Marginal Way and other locations has been reduced significantly since they were swept recently. Maybe zip numer of service calls at other locations swept reently.
A loss of autonomy has been cited as the top reason for refusing a bed at HSC by those at the Harbor View encampment. To lower that barrier and increase occupancy there, the city has extended the HSC curfew to 11:00 pm.
In the meantime, Bob Avery, a Preble Street Outreach caseworker has written that Preble Sreet is “outraged” at this announcement coming just days before the hollidays. He has asked the city to hold off this “sweep” until after the upcomng holidays. Avery wrote that by “giving folks in tents more time to stay in one place, they will begin to connect with resources and support they need to survivie. Most people I connect with do not feel safe sleeping outside, but stopping forced relocation is a big step towrds finding stability to access supports and reach for some of the goals they carry with them,” he wrote in a statement issued this afternoon.
These stepped up sweeps are likely the result of the new Mayor Mark Dion’s increased focus on law and order in the camps. The donation of ice fishing shelters to the homeless in Nova Scotia reported by WMTW News 8 on the 5o’clock report Friday is an estimable suggestion. It’s hard to imagine that Dion’s campaign suggestion of court custody for some could be anything but a temporary distraction for those to whom independence is clearly a near religious commitment.
Thank you for that insightful comment. I call the new mayor Bulldog Dion. Not only does he have a law and order background, but he is probably influenced by his former campaign advisor Cheryl Leeman, a conservative member of the Republican party. She served on the Portland City Council for many years where “no” was her most frequent answer to issues on the Council. Leeman also served as Regional Representative for former Republican US Representative Olympia Snowe. She wasn’t fun to watch; Bulldog Dion won’t be either. Bah Humbug to the homeless population at Harbor View Memorial Park.