PORTLAND, Ore. – On a narrow strip of land between the sidewalk and the street, Becky Niemi draped her tarp over two shopping carts. Then she spread out a purple quilt and settled in for the night.
Her snug spot offered protection from sporadic spring showers, and so long as she vacated by 7 a.m., a "safe sleep policy" for the homeless is supposed to keep her from getting harassed by police.
"Before, they would threaten to throw you in jail if you had this up," said Niemi.
Portland Mayor Charlie Hales rolled out the new rules in February as a six-month experiment that explicitly authorizes — from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. — sleeping bags on the sidewalks and tents or other temporary structures on rights of way and other city spaces.
Among cities grappling with homelessness, Hales' policy represents a controversial move to establish rules for the homeless who end up outside of organized camps and shelters.
The mayor has linked this initiative to other efforts that include police sweeps of large, illegal camps where the rules are not followed, and a push to establish more authorized tent encampments for shelter.
"Most of our homeless population are simply looking for a safe night's sleep, and have suffered needless trauma that comes with uncertainty about where that safe night's sleep can be," said a statement released by the city.
In Portland, some have already rejected the idea.
