To facilitate the collection of accurate data on the city’s homeless population, the City of Portland’s Impact Reduction Program is temporarily halting camp removals. According to a recent announcement, the suspension will be in place from Monday, January 20 to Monday, January 27, coinciding with the tri-county Point in Time Count managed by Portland State University's Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative.
This biennial census, mandated by the federal government, is conducted to gain a clearer understanding of who is experiencing homelessness within the community and to supplement existing by-name lists. Compiling this data, camp removals, which can skew the count by displacing individuals, are momentarily put on hold. The Impact Reduction Program, while not conducting removals, will keep collecting reports of campsites from the community. When visiting reported sites, assessment teams intend to remove camper-identified trash and complete risk assessment reports.
Despite the temporary cessation of camp removals, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson assures citizens that essential city services will persist uninterrupted. "The Point in Time Count is a federally required study critical to understanding our community and securing much-needed federal funding," Wilson said. "While routine camp removals are briefly paused, all other City services will continue, including the critical work of our first responders who are ready to address any urgent issues or emergencies."
The resumption of normal camp removal operations is scheduled for Tuesday, January 28. In the interim, contracted crews that usually handle camp removals will also aid by picking up camper-identified trash. The City extends its thanks to the community for their patience and understanding during the suspension period. Interested volunteers for the Point in Time Count, which will take place from January 23 to January 29, are prompted to undergo a required 90-minute training via Zoom. Information on volunteering is available for those eager to contribute to their community’s welfare by conducting the count.
