[downtownpdx]

Portland passed a"sit lie" ordinance about 10 years ago, which lasted about 6 months before the courts struck it down. It basically said no sitting our lying on sidewalks was permitted from like 7am till 11pm. There was a very noticeable difference, it really seemed like the street kids who tend to congregate were gone.

Now the law says you can sit or lie at least 6 feet from the building during the same hours (against the building is fine overnight). It's amazing how many people set up camp like this, literally inches from traffic, trying to sleep or pass out.

I'm not saying this is some cure for homelessness, but on the other hand I think some of the people who refuse services would be more inclined to get help if they weren't allowed to hang out on street corners all day. It just leads to more problems and does nothing to alleviate the situation.