Mayoral hopeful Rene Gonzalez proposes tougher enforcement of camping ban

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Portland’s camping ban continues to endure political scrutiny as a city commissioner running for mayor proposes an alternative that could lead to steeper legal repercussions for the city’s homeless population.

Commissioner Rene Gonzalez submitted a proposal that would give the next elected mayor administrative control over the enforcement of the daytime camping ordinance, which has undergone several legal setbacks since it was passed in July 2023.

Gonzalez put in his own bid for mayor last December.

“Our office is committed to aggressively protecting Portland from the crime, fire hazards, and debilitating drug culture in the encampments that are preying on our most vulnerable residents and harming our community,” he said in a statement to KOIN 6 News. “I will explore every legal avenue to do so.”

The original ordinance, initially slated to go into effect in July, banned camping in public places from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and forbade camping near parks, docks, schools and construction zones. Those found violating the ban were subject to a $100-dollar fine or 30 days in jail.

However, the ban’s enforcement stalled after the Oregon Law Center sued the city in September on behalf of thousands of homeless residents – prompting a Multnomah County judge to issue an injunction in November that paused any enforcement until the end of the lawsuit.

Earlier this month, Mayor Ted Wheeler proposed new regulations that he said would clarify the definition of camping as well as the reasons for prohibiting camping when a person does not have – or declines – “reasonable alternative shelter.” 

According to Wheeler’s proposal, camping would still be banned for anyone blocking a business, private property or the public sidewalk. Violators could face up to a week in jail or a fine of no more than $100.

Gonzalez’s response, however, would “be punishable by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprisonment for a period of not more than six months,” as written in the proposal.

The proposal also targets items left in the “public right-of-way for a period longer than two hours” or even items “deposited with the intent to interfere” with the roadway for less than two hours.

Gonzalez’s office said the new proposal would align Portland with its neighbor, Gresham, in order to bolster “collaboration and coordination in confronting what is truly a regional crisis.”

“We find the Gresham approach appealing because (i) it is flexible and can adjust as a fluid legal environment evolves and (ii) allow for more aggressive enforcement once Martin v. Boise and HB 3115 are addressed,” the office said in a statement.