Portland woman says homelessness is 'piece of cake' thanks to 3 meals a day, lax drug policies, no cops

[Leroy N. Soetoro]

https://nypost.com/2023/01/03/portland-woman-says-homelessness-is-piece-
of-cake-thanks-to-3-meals-lax-drug-policies-no-cops/

Portland’s homeless population is livin’ on Easy Street.

A homeless woman who identified herself as Wendy last week told homeless
activist Kevin Dahlgren that living on the streets is a breeze thanks to
Oregon’s lax drug policies and lack of police enforcement.

“It’s a piece of cake, really. I mean, that’s why you probably got so many
out here because they feed you three meals a day,” Wendy told Dahlgren in
a street interview. “They’re loving us to death. You don’t have to do s–t
but stay in your tent or party or if you smoke of a lot of dope, you can
do that.”

Dahlgren, who runs the nonprofit We Heart Seattle and wants to end
homelessness by “empowering not enabling” others, thanked Wendy for her
honesty before adding that Portland’s approach doesn’t seem to be “really
helping anybody.”

“It’s not,” Wendy agreed. “That’s why you see all the tents.”

In September, the state Health Authority found that its new law
decriminalizing small amounts of all street drugs had “failed.” Under the
Oregon law, which went into effect last February, those found with
personal-use amounts of drugs, including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine,
LSD, oxycodone and ecstasy, would be slapped with fines instead of
criminal charges.

In the first six months of the law, fatal overdoses skyrocketed, with
unintentional opioid overdose deaths jumping from 472 to 739 in 2021. Less
than 1% of drug users who accessed drug treatment services opted for
rehabilitation programs, data shows.

Instead, homeless drug users have been left to party all night and sleep
all day, Wendy said.

There are over 6,600 homeless people in Portland across more than 700
encampments. Although the city’s Mayor Ted Wheeler announced in October
plans to ban the camps, the tent cities have largely remained undisturbed
by city officials, including police.

“Here you don’t have any police. There’s no police around,” Wendy said.
“You get hurt, you’re screwed because they’re not helping anybody. You
don’t see them anywhere.”

Wendy claimed that she “used to be like everybody else” before falling on
hard times. She used to run her own hair salon in Washington, owned a
house and drove a Lexus, but told Dahlgren she lost everything after
losing her husband.

Wendy said she wants to return to cutting hair and get another job, but
can’t until she gets a new pair of dentures — her last pair was stolen
right from her own tent, she said.

“They do that here,” she said.

Dahlgren revealed Monday that he had set up a fundraiser for Wendy to get
her a new pair of dentures and that the video series had helped Wendy’s
brother finally find where his homeless sister had been living.

Comments:

Janet
3 January, 2023

If you are working hard and struggling to make ends meet under the Biden
Administration, why not move to Portland, Seattle, LA, where the Liberals
think you should be able to do drugs and get food delivered three times a
day. Some working-class people are struggling to put food on the table.
More people are in food lines trying to survive while Joe is allowing
millions of illegals in that we also have to feed. New taxes on gas, oil,
coal, electricity should make it more difficult for people to stay in the
apartments. Some of these are the same people who voted for Joe Biden.

Steven Smith
3 January, 2023

According to a 2020 Forbes investigative report, the City Of Portland
received $252.5 Million dollars from the Federal Gov't in a single
year.....now I ask you.....do you think they actually took any of that
money to SOLVE their homeless problem...?.....

Shrike
4 January, 2023

Even if they do use it, it will not solve their problem.

PristineGal
3 January, 2023

That and all the economic relief the Feds red flagged forthe homeless is
not going to be spent on the homeless either

AZ
4 January, 2023

America has an increasing number of people who have chosen to 'drop out'
of society.

Where I now live in SW MO is a 'destination vacation' spot for transients
because of the plethora of social services and a population that is
religious and tolerant to a fault.

While I am ok with those who want to be societal 'outliers' I am NOT ok
with littering, open drug usage and violent crime/theft.

Too many people have just given up and been ALLOWED to give up.

And those of us who haven't are left with the increasing mess.


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