Next Wednesday, May 31, 2023, Mayor Ted Wheeler will bring the attached ordinance to Portland City Council that will propose updates to Portland’s camping code regarding reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions. These changes will explicitly codify the City’s policies and enforcement strategies while aligning unsanctioned camping city code with the requirements of Oregon state law – House Bill 3115.
This bill requires all cities in Oregon to update their local camping ordinances to ensure they are objectively reasonable with respect to time, place, and manner restrictions on unsanctioned camping. All Oregon jurisdictions must adopt compliant code changes by July 1, 2023.
Statement from Mayor Ted Wheeler:
“My goal is to have enough shelter, housing, and treatment access available so that we can fully eliminate unsanctioned, unsheltered camping in Portland. We must continue to develop workable, and compassionate means to connect people to the services they need to get off and stay off the streets. These changes are critical to the City’s compliance with state law and vital to our community’s ability to return to the vibrant place we all love.”
Updates in the Mayor’s proposed ordinance include:
Time: Prohibit all camping between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Place: A complete ban on camping in specific places, including parks, docks, and sidewalk areas intended for pedestrians, as well as areas near construction sites, schools, daycares, existing shelters, high crash corridors and environmental overlay zones.
Manner: Camps may not obstruct access to private property or businesses, individuals cannot start or use gas heaters in or around a site, set up permanent structures, accumulate garbage or hazardous materials, assemble or offer to sell multiple bicycles, cars, or other parts.
Source: Portland Mayor's Office