Blue City Proposes Plan To Force New Businesses To Deal With Homeless

December 10, 2019 in News, Video by RBN Staff

ThePatriotChronicles

 December 8, 2019

New businesses have a lot on their plate especially if they are not corporate owned, in fact many businesses fail within the first year. But Portland, Oregon doesn’t seem to care about the welfare of business owners, as they are now talking about forcing businesses to be more accommodating to the homeless. They want new buildings to include areas where homeless people could rest. So it seems they are trying to shift the burden of caring for the homeless onto new business owners. And that’s how you get businesses to rethink their location.

Portland, Oregon, like many other notably “blue” cities, is not immune to a growing homelessness problem. Like San Francisco, California, and Seattle, Washington, Portland is overrun with people sleeping rough, many of whom suffer from drug addiction and mental illness.

There are humane ways to handle the homelessness problem but, it seems, a Portland city commission would rather change Portland’s building codes in order to force private property owners to accommodate members of Portland’s homeless population, according to local media.

The city’s “planning and sustainability commission,” which writes and enforces the city’s building codes, approved a change to building guidelines in November that would require new construction to feature “opportunities to rest and be welcome” for those who do not number among that building’s residents or customers.

The requirement can be read a number of ways, but at least one member of the Portland planning and sustainability commission was clear to local reporters that the requirement is to the benefit of the city’s “unhoused,” who are often kicked off of private property for loitering, sleeping, or camping — as is (typically) a private property owner’s right.”

Watch The Clip Below. 

The Commission Chair Katherine Schultz questioned what impact the change could have.

“What does it mean to rest? Am I providing a place to sleep?” Schultz said.

Members of the commission questioned how this could impact private property and the entire design review process.”

Schultz provided a statement:

“The Commission will talk about this further at our next work session and will provide suggested language to the Design Commission that helps clarify the intent of the word “rest.” The Design Commission is the recommending body to City Council for proposed new design guidelines.”

This sounds like they are trying to force businesses to make places for the homeless so they don’t have to deal with it. Portland should just start making more homeless shelters and work programs, get these people off the streets and back into the workforce. If there are mentally ill then find them accommodations for treatment/care. Their proposal is just ridiculous, the city shouldn’t be forcing businesses to deal with the homeless problem. Businesses need to be able to attract customers and the last thing they need is a homeless person living in their city-approved doorway shelter, scaring away business.