Portland will start issuing citations to the homeless — will it do any good?
Sep 25, 2025, 11:44 AM
The Mayor of Portland says the city will start giving infractions to the homeless. (Photo: Kevin Dahlgren)
(Photo: Kevin Dahlgren)
Portland’s new mayor, Keith Wilson, is reviving enforcement of the city’s public camping ordinance beginning November 1, after a months-long pause.
Under the law, homeless people who who refuse access to reasonable, alternative shelter, or are found in violation of public camping rules, could land in jail or be hit with fines. It was initially paused without explanation and Wilson says the city is only acting now because they finally secured “consistent available capacity” in shelters.
“This is not a situation where we’re going to just start going out and arresting a bunch of people simply for being homeless,” Sgt. Aaron Schmautz, president of the Portland Police Association, told KATU-TV. “It is instead a tool to be used to navigate more complex situations where criminal activity is associated with camping activity.”
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