Kevin Dahlgreen, a homeless advocate in Oregon, discusses a bill that would decriminalize camping in public spaces and what action the state can take to get the homeless crisis under control.
The longtime drug counselor added that the state needs to take an"outreach" approach to get the crisis under control. He said it would serve two purposes: building trust and deterring negative behavior.
"If you saw established teams out there every day, every encampment, engaging with them and building that trust and bringing back hope, you know, they're going to come around andyou are offering," he predicted."What we do is we simply leave them alone out there and it's become this almost post-apocalyptic feeling."
HB 3501 also states it is an"unlawful practice" for any person to"deny, refuse, restrict or withhold from a person experiencing homelessness" any of the following rights. If a homeless person believes their rights have been violated in a public space, they can file a complaint and potentially receive compensatory damages or $1,000 per violation, whichever is greater, according to the bill’s text.
The bill also adds that homeless people can exercise their above rights"without being subject to harassment, citation or arrest by law enforcement officers, public or private security personnel or employees of local governments.""We have a lot of citizens who are frustrated and be like, ‘where are our rights?’ The homeless in our community in many ways are treated like a protected class," he said."And yes, I have a heart for the homeless.
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