How is Portland working to keep the city clean? Please read Travel Portland’s Homelessness in Portland page for additional information about this issue, as well as more details on proactive measures to address homelessness in the city. The funds would support new shelter beds, outreach workers, behavioral health teams, storage and hygiene units, and camp cleanups. 1, 2021, the city and county announced a joint agreement to invest $38 million in homeless services. The City of Portland and Multnomah County recently pledged to commit $1 billion over the next 10 years to housing solutions and basic services that meet people experiencing homelessness where they are. Currently the city is in the process of moving homeless camps to equipped outdoor shelter villages. Portland is committed to humanely caring for its homeless population and has shifted increased resources towards mental health treatment and housing solutions. A shortage of shelter availability has resulted in this segment of the population living in tents in various neighborhoods. Houselessness is a national issue that is impacting Portland and many other cities. How is the city dealing with the rise in houselessness? In addition, partnerships are developing across city, county, state, federal, community and nonprofit entities to explore and implement viable, sustainable solutions citywide. The city and the Portland Police Bureau are focusing resources on these areas and forging stronger community partnerships to improve the current climate, with an emphasis on providing necessary resources for future improvements as well. These areas have faced greater economic and social hardship historically and because of the pandemic.
However, the majority of incidents tend to occur in neighborhoods in the outer North and East sections of Portland. Gun violence is unpredictable, and incidents have occurred in various areas around the city, as indicated in the Portland Police Bureau’s dashboard. In September 2021, Multnomah County leaders came together to announce an “all hands on deck” approach to fighting gun violence the county’s plan encompasses new hires, investments and collaborations with community partnerships and health partners to reduce violence and hold offenders accountable. In December 2020, Mayor Ted Wheeler, Police Chief Chuck Lovell and Office of Violence Prevention Director Nike Greene announced first steps in a new plan to decrease shootings and homicides, including assigning more detectives to investigations, as well as more outreach and hospital-based trauma responders. That said, statistics show that gun violence in Portland has experienced an uptrend, mirroring similar trends in cities nationwide. Also in the city center, Portland Center Stage has launched a new season of performances and the Portland Trail Blazers are playing in front of full-capacity NBA crowds in the Moda Center.īeyond protests, is violence on the rise in Portland? How dangerous is Portland?įor comparison, Portland’s current violent crime rate remains below the average for violent crime in large U.S. Other downtown attractions, including the Portland Farmers Market at PSU, Oregon Historical Society and Portland Art Museum are open and welcoming visitors. The community has already come together in person at various central city events this summer, including shopping at Portland Saturday Market, attending concerts at The Lot at Zidell Yards, and rediscovering culinary gems at Portland Night Market. Consumer activity downtown is already picking up, as capacity restrictions have eased, and it should continue to rise. We anticipate that as new COVID cases trend downward, vaccinations increase and additional restrictions are lifted, workers will gradually return to offices and businesses will increase their hours of operation. Visitors are advised to plan ahead and check hours of operation for any establishments on their itineraries. As many companies instituted remote work policies due to the pandemic, consumer traffic in Portland’s core slowed and prompted some smaller businesses to reduce their hours of operation. As is the case in all major cities, downtown is traditionally a major hub of activity. Downtown Portland and its surrounding neighborhoods are open.