Recently, it was revealed that a controversial new law in Portland was proposed that would effectively allow homeless people to set up camp anywhere within Oregon. As known, Portland already has a large homeless population, so unsurprisingly, the bill has been met with controversy. This week, it was revealed which districts within Portland supported the 3501 bill.

As seen above, the Beaverton area of Portland was in favor of the controversial Right To Rest act, which would in theory make it legal for drug addicts to live on the front lawns of any house within the Portland area. It wasn’t just Beaverton either, as seen in the image below.

Representative Khanh Pham was also in favor the Right to Rest act – which was met with anger online. One person wrote “I live in your district, and I am shocked that you would sponsor such an ill-conceived bill as HB3501. As a person who has lived and worked in Lents every day for years, I have seen the degradation and human suffering caused by the confluence of M110, Boise v Martin, and the reluctance of city and state leadership to do anything about our burgeoning drug addicted homeless problem. I fear that HB3501 will turbo charge the problem, inducing more and more bad actors to move to our state to consume resources and hard drugs, while contributing nothing to society; indeed they will actively be detracting from it.

This bill will make my neighborhood, city, and state a worse place to live for all but the most indigent and irresponsible. I encourage you to walk around the Lents neighborhood sometime, walk under the bridges and along the streets with derelict RVs and people getting face tattoos in tents. Hear the crunch of discarded syringes underfoot as you walk down the 205 multi use path. Smell the second hand fentanyl smoke first thing in the morning. Hopefully you don’t get shot at while walking to work, as I have.”

Whilst another on Twitter said “WHAT!!! The right to rest?? WTF is happening to this state?? Rest is 6-8 hrs…not setting up a home on public property, not paying ANY taxes, then destroying everything around it with garbage, cars and feces. Right to rest?? Is now ok to “rest” in state parks with no charge? WTH!”

As mentioned, people are angry. However, at least they can now write to said politicians to vent their concerns.