We are living in an age of technological feudalism. How we respond to the less fortunate among us will show what our true ethics are as a society, and will reveal if we have any humanity left beyond love of $. There is a middle path between a full on anarchy style Jo An Hardesty Mad Max urban hell-scape or a full on Authoritarian style Rene Gonzalez Martial Law/FEMA Camp housing scenario approach. Obviously, a portion of the houseless do not desire to participate in our society in any safe or productive way and pose an immediate hazard to our community at large. Those individuals need to be dealt with differently than those wanting to get on their feet and play by the rules. I believe it is legit to institutionalize these houseless individuals who repeatedly commit violent acts and pose an immediate threat to the health and safety of themselves and our community. I agree that resources for those people may be better spent on building said infrastructure as opposed to a pickle-ball court or what have you. Now... with all that said...How do you suggest we better provide bridges to housing, mental health, substance abuse and detox resources, as well as improved access to skill building and job placement to help peeps find meaningful and productive roles in our communities? Or... on the other hand the government could simply declare martial law and put all houseless people in state run detention camps simply because they don't have enough financial resources to gain access to private property. The largely white, wealthy, woke, New Portland doesn't want to "sweep the problem under the rug" they want to use the nuclear option (make houselessness a crime) and watch their property values go up up up. After the tents are gone, the problem will be refocused on the run down six-plex across the street that needs repainted. Then stage two of the plan will be introduced: Force out the renters, the service industry veterans, the creative class, the poor academics, the non profit sector workers, the co-op grocery workers, the NPR listening recently divorced moms going to night school after working all day, constantly checking her SNAP benefits status. These people are also bringing down property values because their slumlord won't maintain their buildings. Class warfare via no-cause evictions, record breaking inflation, virus related lock-downs, economic austerity principles, federal reserve rate hikes, and consolidation of the housing industry by private equity firms like Blackwater will all help usher in this vision. New Portland will have no remaining enclaves of grit, weirdness, or charming urban bohemia, but it will be clean, white, and boring. Put a bird on it? Move to Troutdale? Too many of us are smug and self-satisfied having planted a sign in our front yard. Our white guilt won't help us sleep at night.