Fingerprints not necessary for homeless bus ticket

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland’s plan to provide bus tickets for homeless people who want to return to their hometowns will not include a plan to require fingerprints.

The idea was brought up at a previous city council meeting from those worried about homeless citizens ‘double dipping’ on resources. But some call the fingerprint requirement a violation of privacy. Mayor Charlie Hales doesn’t think the requirement is a good idea.

“On its face, probably not.”

But Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who is in charge of the housing bureau, took a stronger stance.

“There’s going to be no fingerprinting involved whatsoever,” said Saltzman.

The Commissioner admitted he made the high level policy change Thursday, shortly after a phone call from KOIN 6 News.

“This is Portland, we don’t do things like that in Portland,” Saltzman said. “There’s probably ways to game the system, but the intent is to have these individuals who we help pay transportation costs for, to work through a case manager.”

Caseworkers at non-profits like Transition Projects and Central City Concern will monitor the process.

“You have to be working with a case manager in the homeless system and they have to more or less vouch for you,” according to Saltzman.

Saltzman said the goal of the project is to reunite people with family or better support networks, eventually getting them off the streets. For homeless woman Shawn Still, that is music to her ears.

“I want to go see my kids. They can fingerprint me all they want because I don’t got no warrants, I don’t got no nothing. I’m just trying to get back to my babies.”