Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homelessness Warming Centers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Volunteer warns Portland council some unhoused residents turned away from warming centers amid extreme cold
Summary
A volunteer who distributes cold-weather gear told the Portland City Council she found people sleeping on the streets during nights with wind chills below 30 to 50 below zero and said some were turned away from a local warming center because it was at capacity.
Marielle Geiger, a Portland resident and volunteer who distributes cold-weather gear to people sleeping outdoors, told the City Council she has encountered people sleeping on the streets during dangerously low temperatures and that some were turned away from a local warming center because it was full.
"I consider this a type of last line of defense, if you will, for those that have not or are not able to get shelter or warmth," Geiger said, describing nights when wind chills statewide ranged "from 30 to 50 below 0." She said, "Last night, I was passing out cold gear near the warming center right here in Portland, and a gentleman who was deaf, having difficulty communicating, and had just become unhoused just yesterday was turned away because his center was at capacity."
The report came during the meeting's general public-comment period, when speakers are allowed three minutes. The council briefly discussed whether to suspend rules so a councilor could ask follow-up questions; the council suspended the rules and Councilor Sykes asked Geiger whether she works with an organization. Geiger said she does not represent an organization and that a small group of volunteers sometimes distributes cold-weather supplies on the coldest nights.
Geiger told the council she has seen people suffering frostbite and veterans with traumatic brain injuries sleeping behind convenience stores. "They need help, and they need it now, today," she said.
Mayor Mark Dion and Councilor Sykes thanked Geiger for sharing first-hand observations and said the council would "look into this." Councilor Sykes explicitly thanked her "for the service to the people of the city and for bringing your perspective to us." The council did not take a vote or direct immediate formal action during the meeting; members indicated staff follow-up and further inquiry would be appropriate.
The exchange was limited to public comment and a short follow-up; the council did not adopt new policy or allocate funding during the session. Geiger offered to answer questions and declined to present a formal proposal.
Geiger's remarks were made during the public-comment portion of the meeting and the council characterized them as information that staff and members should "look into," with no formal motion recorded.
