In a recent Twitter post, Portland City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez warned that San Francisco’s decision to expand its homeless bussing program, combined with Governor Gavin Newsom’s order to clear unsanctioned camps, “should put all Oregonians on notice: if we stand still, more homeless people will come to Oregon.” Gonzalez highlighted that Oregon’s resources are already stretched thin and called for reforms to HB 3115 to prevent migratory homelessness while also expanding behavioral health systems and shelter access.
Gonzalez mentioned that his approach to the issue will be one of “compassion without enablement” as he begins his service on the Steering and Oversight Committee for the Joint Office of Homeless Services. This committee is a new entity formed under a recent agreement between Portland and Multnomah County to better coordinate their response to homelessness. Mayor Wheeler recently appointed Gonzalez as a member of the committee.
