PORTLAND, Ore. — As Portland prepares to resume enforcement of its public camping ban on November 1, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez outlined how his office will support the city’s renewed efforts to address homelessness while emphasizing compassion and accountability.
The camping ban ordinance, passed by the Portland City Council in 2024, restricts unsanctioned camping on public property. Enforcement had been paused in February by Mayor Keith Wilson, who wanted to give the city time to expand shelter capacity and outreach resources. Now, after adding hundreds of new emergency shelter beds, the city says it is ready to reintroduce the policy with a stronger support network in place.
City officials stress that the focus will not be on arrests but on connecting unhoused Portlanders to services and shelter. They say outreach teams and enforcement officers will prioritize offering assistance before issuing citations.
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“The goal is to get people help first,” the city said in a statement. “This is about moving people toward stability, not punishment.”
However, some community leaders remain cautious. Scott Kerman, executive director of Blanchet House, questioned what happens after citations are issued. “If they’re going to give someone a citation, what happens next?” he asked. “We need to make sure this process doesn’t just shuffle people through the system without real solutions.”
During a Friday press conference, DA Nathan Vasquez acknowledged those concerns while explaining his office’s approach. He said law enforcement officers will go through several steps before resorting to a citation.
“Portland police officers will do everything they can on the front end to get someone into a shelter in a compassionate manner,” Vasquez said. “We want to do everything we can to avoid the criminal justice system and the jails. But at some point, we have to have a firm stance and say — it’s time for a change.”
Vasquez emphasized that jail time will remain a last resort, with a maximum stay of seven days for those who do end up incarcerated. He added that individuals who are cited and fail to appear in court may face an additional failure-to-appear charge.
The DA’s office is working closely with Mayor Wilson, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, and various homeless outreach organizations to coordinate enforcement in what Vasquez called a “collaborative and careful process.”
He acknowledged that there is no perfect solution to Portland’s homelessness crisis but argued that a mix of compassion and structure is needed to make progress.
“There’s no magic bullet out there, and certainly I don’t believe we can arrest our way out of this,” Vasquez said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t try different efforts and make some changes. This community has stepped up with a lot of different tools — now it’s time to make sure those individuals on the street are taking advantage of them.”
As the city reintroduces enforcement, outreach workers and advocacy groups will be watching closely to see whether the renewed approach truly balances compassion with accountability — or whether it deepens tensions around one of Portland’s most pressing challenges.
