PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — With September 1 and the impending Springwater Corridor sweep just around the corner, many transients are looking for new spots to set up camp. But some who thought they found a new home at Delta Park were sent packing over the weekend.
KOIN 6 News spoke with a camper named Kevin who said the city gave him and many others at Delta Park just 72 hours to round up their belongings and leave.
Now, he’s not sure where he and his puppy, guinea pig and 4 friends will end up.
“We have no idea,” Kevin said about his future plans. “I’ve been trying to work with the city for the last 6 months now, trying to help them help us.”
The organization A Home for Everyone is doing intense outreach along the Springwater Corridor to help those who will soon be displaced by the city’s cleanup.
Marc Jolin, the group’s initiative director, says there aren’t many options right now.
“The reality is, some of the folks who are out there are simply going to have to find another place on public property where they can’t camp, but where it’s lower profile and there isn’t such a large accumulation of people in one location,” Jolin said.
Kevin and Jolin agree that there aren’t enough resources for the homeless in Portland right now. Kevin says that’s why many, including himself, ended up in Delta Park.
Mayor Charlie Hales’ spokesman said 400 new shelter beds will be available by fall. Plans for the city’s first outdoor shelter at Delta park are still in the works.
In the meantime, Kevin, his trailer and SUV are on the road once again.
Filed under: Civic Affairs, Community, Local News, Multnomah County, Oregon, Portland, Top Video
