Homeowners in the city of Portland, Oregon say a group of homeless people have built their own makeshift shacks overlooking the scenic Willamette River without any planning permission.
The rickety cabins and tents have been built on a patch of dirt that is considered no-man’s land and situated next to the Union Pacific rail yard.
But for those living across the river who have paid up to one million dollars for what should be beautiful uninterrupted views, the setups are a blight on the landscape.
One of the main problems is the area is that it is challenging to reach and with it not directly being on land owned by the rail yard, it is also not clear who is in charge of the shoreline.
Some property records show a portion of the beach does in fact belong to the rail yard but there appears to be little to no inclination to do anything about it.
Homeowners in Portland, Oregon are complaining about a group of people who have built makeshift cabins and tents on a patch of dirt overlooking the river
From the other side of the river bank, the luxury apartment blocks and also be seen clearly
Views of what seem to be encampments along the banks of the Willamette River in Portland
The settlement sit on a very thing strip of land between the river and rail yard
The strip of land, seen far left, is so thin there are no clear signs as to whom it belongs to
Cabins have been set up on a no-man’s land that is challenging to access
Tents have also been erected but it is unclear who is responsible for the shoreline
Larry Purtle and Ric Scaramella have been watching people set up about nine makeshift cabins across from their own condo for the past five years and say they’ve complained to authorities about 40 times.
The couple say they are ‘concerned’ about the people living in the cabins and worried about pollution going into the river.
‘These are not tents. These are structures. Pretty much everyone comes back and says that they don’t have jurisdiction because it’s Union Pacific, it’s a railroad,’ Scaramella said to KOIN.
The community of cabins which are built out of driftwood appear almost slum-like with no bathroom facilities or running water – yet some even have solar panels to provide power to the inhabitants. Garbage has been left strewn along the shore.
One of those living in the cabins is Paula who prefers it to being in a shelter.
‘There’s a few shelters I like. They would have been great, except for the no drugs thing. That sucks. I don’t think drugs are my problem,’ Paula told KOIN News.
‘I think my problem is I have no place to wash my hair and go to the bathroom.’
Larry Purtle and Ric Scaramella, have raised concerns about pollution and the lack of facilities for those living in the area but nobody is taking responsibility
Purtle and Scaramella live in luxury apartments across the river want authorities to take charge
Garbage has been left strewn along the shoreline with nobody taking responsibility
The settlers appear to have been making homes for themselves for the last five year
The area has also become something of a dumping ground
A map showing where homeless camps have been reported across the city of Portland – with plenty dotted along the river
Recently, the City of Portland, the Oregon Department of State Lands, the Oregon Marine Board, Metro, and the Port of Portland pulled out 10 tons of debris and two abandoned boats from the area called Lindbergh’s Beach, owned by the Port of Portland.
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Union Pacific spokesperson Daryl Bjoraas said when it comes to ownership of the land, it is complicated.
‘This area is particularly challenging to enforce, because cabins are near the water’s edge. Under Ordinary High Water Mark common law, the boundary separating public land from private land is determined by natural fluctuations of the water, making it a legal gray area,’ Bjoraas explained.
Similarly, the Oregon Department of State Lands, which regulates rivers is also taking a hands-off approach to the issue.
‘The bad news is, at this point, it’s hard to say if we have a role. Where public ownership of the riverbed/bank ends and upland ownership begins is complicated,’ a spokesperson said.
Multnomah County funds non-profit organizations that provide outreach with homeless people but it is unclear whether the people living in the cabins have been spoken to.
‘There’s a few shelters I like. They would have been great, except for the no drugs thing. That sucks. I don’t think drugs are my problem,’ one woman called Paula, living in a cabin KOIN News. ‘I think my problem is I have no place to wash my hair and go to the bathroom.’
Homelessness – as seen on the Oregon river
Some of the cabins even appear to have solar panels to provide electricity
Those living across the river now have views of shoreline wasteland
Workers with the Willamette Riverkeeper nonprofit group clean up garbage along the banks of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. Photos of the trash posted June 2022.
There are huge amount of trash littered along the banks of the river in Portland
What appears to be a pleasant strip of woodland actually contains a lot of junk left by the inhabitants of the makeshift settlements
The riverside camps are just the latest issue to blight Portland which has been suffering from rising crime and homeless camps which have spread from downtown and into the suburbs pushing out countless businesses and residents.
Dilapidated RVs are used by homeless people throughout the city, and are often spotted parked near encampments.
The Democratic city has one of the most deserted downtowns in the United States as soaring crime rates and homelessness are scaring away both locals and tourists.
In 2021, there were 90 homicides amid a surge in gun violence, which shattered city’s previous record high of 66 set more than three decades ago.
There have been 101 murders recorded in 2022 – a new record for the city.
Portland currently has more than 700 homeless encampments across the city within less than 150 square miles.
Some of the most charming, trendy and expensive neighborhoods of the Pacific Northwest city are now overrun with tent cities crowding residential sidewalks and littered with trash – and the issue is scaring away both locals and tourists.
Portland currently has more than 700 homeless encampments across the city within less than 150 square miles, and the ordeal has also led to skyrocketing crime in the area
Some of the most charming, trendy and expensive neighborhoods of the Pacific Northwest city are now overrun with tent cities crowding residential sidewalks and littered with trash – and the issue is scaring away both locals and tourists
Portland City Council rushed to refund the police in November 2021 after defunding them more by more than $15 million in 2020. Officials instead voted to add $5.4 million to the force’s budget.
When the police was defunded in 2020, the Portland Police Bureau suffered through a rash of retirements and resignations.
Portland saw a dramatic increase in shootings and murders after George Floyd’s Minneapolis death.
The city saw a 250 percent increase in murders within the first six months of Floyd’s death and shootings rose almost 175 per cent.
