Cities across the country are dealing with a growing homelessness crisis, but things are particularly bad in Portland, Oregon, where local officials don’t seem interested in finding solutions or standing up for taxpayers who own homes.
There are people who live in fear of homeless communities showing up in their neighborhoods and setting up tent camps.
Some people are afraid to leave the house because there have been physical attacks.
FOX 12 in Oregon reports:
SE Portland residents scared after homeowner attacked by nearby camper
Neighbors who live on Southeast 111th say their lives have become a nightmare, and they feel they can’t do anything to change it.
Recently, neighbors said they witnessed a man being attacked by a person on their street. This is something they say would never have happened a few years ago.
Gwen Ingram, who lives near the homeless camp, said she had never felt like she did now. He says he is afraid to go out in the daytime.
“When I first moved in,” she recalled, “it was like a ‘Leave it to Beaver’ neighborhood.”
“We never had a problem until the tents started moving in,” added Ingram’s neighbor, Deena Closson.
Closson remembered that the tents began to appear one by one. He states that tenants started sleeping in their yards, stealing things, and even breaking in.
“It’s scary,” Ingram said, “people screaming at you, yelling at you and threatening you.”
Ingram claims the police were not helpful.
“We would call and they would ask, ‘do you want us to come?’ We said, ‘yes, we want you to come out!’ That’s a stupid question.”
Neighbors say they have an understanding of people going through hard times that could lead to homelessness, and even admit to being sympathetic to the litter and trash lying around their yards. However, now they say they feel threatened.
Watch the video reportage below:
Why would anyone want to live like this?
*Today In #Portland*
A homeless tent colony digs underground tunnels to store toxic waste and discarded drugs@PBOTinfo and @PDXFire were on site to assess the damage from yesterday’s underground fire which resulted in a rescue operation, in which 1 person was injured. pic.twitter.com/5l4OEm0GaN
— Brandon Farley (Portland Journalist) (@TheRealFarley) March 9, 2023
One thing is certain. Nothing will change in Portland or other cities like it until the people finally decide to make a serious change in leadership.