Residents urge action on downtown livability, safety and services as shelter plans proceed

Four Portlanders testified during public comment at the July 22 Homelessness and Housing Committee meeting, telling committee members that visible drug activity, discarded paraphernalia and street disorder are affecting neighborhood livability, perceived safety and property values.

"Many of the people living on the street near us are driven by their addiction and the need to continually get more drugs," said Ray Bodwell, a downtown resident who described declining condo resale values and frequent street disorder near a downtown Safeway and other blocks. Bodwell said shelter beds alone would not resolve downtown conditions tied to substance use.

Christy Stoffer, a high-school teacher from Northeast Portland, described encounters this summer with people on private property and with discarded drug paraphernalia, and said, "Now our neighborhood is starting to feel unsafe." She said callers who contact nonemergency lines face long waits and that residents feel constrained about how to respond when they encounter someone who appears to be intoxicated nearby.

Amanda Rose Prezioso, a licensed clinical social worker, urged the committee to consider solutions for seniors and people with disabilities, including home-share models, accessible home repairs and stronger caregiving capacity. She also recommended the city work with state partners to expand adult-care options where state rules limit occupancy and bed counts.

Downtown resident Sandeep Devakar said he has witnessed recent violent incidents near downtown blocks and asked what public-safety plan the city has to accompany a low-barrier shelter opening on 12th and Clay. "We were not given any notice about this," he said, and asked how the city will address public safety, trash and disorder that neighbors fear could increase around new shelter sites.

Committee members acknowledged the testimonies and said the next meeting (Aug. 12) will include a presentation from the mayor on shelter-plan progress and further discussion of how to coordinate shelter openings with clean-up, staffing, and safety plans. Several councilors emphasized that both affordability and street livability must be addressed: one member cited a recent news review finding that shelter openings have not been correlated with increases in crime, while others urged coordinated wraparound services, stronger tenant enforcement and longitudinal tracking of outcomes.

The committee thanked testifiers for appearing during weekday afternoon hours and said staff and council will absorb the comments as they refine the strategy and the mayor's shelter plan.