Residents, advocates urge council to keep shelter beds, raise Congress Street maintenance concerns

Public comment at a June Portland City Council meeting focused on homelessness and conditions along Congress Street. Eric Brewer, an advocate with Homeless Voices for Justice and a person with lived experience, told the council he has been housed nearly five years but warned that any closure of emergency beds 'including at 166 Riverside Street'would strain the shelter system and likely push people into encampments. "Please do not reduce our already scarce shelter beds and support the budget as written," Brewer said, asking the council to maintain emergency shelter capacity.

Donna Yellin, vice president of strategic initiatives at Preble Street, said Preble Street supported the city manager's proposed budget and the council's choice not to cut municipal social services. "Outreach, emergency shelters and public health are all critical components of our community's homelessness response system," she said.

Council members and staff also addressed persistent complaints from residents and businesses about Congress Street, where several speakers and councilors described litter, petty vandalism, human waste, discarded clothing and people who are shelter-resistant. A resident and long-time active community member, Stephen Sharf, said he was surprised to learn of a planned "shim pave" operation on Congress Street and argued the street needs to be fully ripped up and rebuilt rather than surface patched because of underlying paving and rail tracks from earlier infrastructure.

Mayor Mark Dion and City Manager Danielle West described a range of city responses, including vacancy-ordinance work under the Housing and Economic Development Committee, grants routed through Portland Downtown, potential increased community policing and stationing staff in Monument Square, activation and beautification work with Portland Downtown, and a downtown ambassador program. Manager West said staff is also negotiating memoranda of understanding with food distributors who serve people in the area and working with the Police Department to increase foot beats and presence in the corridor.

Mayor Dion said some individuals in the corridor decline offered services, presenting an operational challenge for outreach staff. "They don't seem to be susceptible or open to the possibility that we would make a referral in their best interest," he said. Councilors and staff said the city is pursuing multiple coordinated strategies, acknowledging limitations where litter occurs on private property and noting Portland Downtown may step in to address cleanup where public funds cannot.

Public commenters also raised policing and past treatment issues; Ray Mondo Resendiz described prior encounters with law enforcement and expressed ongoing concerns about medical attention and treatment during an arrest in 2018.

The council did not take direct action on these public comments during the meeting but directed staff to continue operational responses and advised continued committee work on vacancy-ordinance reforms and related strategies for the corridor.