Portland city leaders are preparing to vote Wednesday on a budget amendment that would move more than $4 million away from homeless encampment removals and redirect the funds toward food assistance, refugee support and housing programs.
A Divisive Budget Proposal
The amendment, introduced by Councilor Angelita Morillo, proposes cutting $4.3 million from the city’s Impact Reduction Program, which currently operates with a $16.7 million budget. Morillo argues that continuing to focus on camp removals is both ineffective and harmful.
“The Mayor’s plan to continue sweeping our unhoused neighbors is not only morally bankrupt, it is empirically a failure,” Morillo said. “Do we want to further traumatize and destabilize people, or do we want to stabilize them with the direct aid they need right now?”
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Morillo also emphasized that shifting the funds is especially urgent as a federal government shutdown has delayed SNAP benefits for thousands of Oregon families.
Mayor Warns of Risks
Mayor Keith Wilson strongly opposes the proposal. In a newsletter sent out Sunday, he warned that removing funding from the Impact Reduction Program could jeopardize Portland’s livability.
Wilson said the cut could result in up to 100 layoffs within the program and leave millions of pounds of waste uncollected on city streets. He urged residents to contact their councilors and advocate against the amendment.
A Growing Rift Over Homelessness Policy
This week’s vote follows a tense period at City Hall. Earlier this month, Wilson began enforcing Portland’s new camping ban—an action that has drawn criticism from some councilors and advocates, who accuse the mayor of criminalizing people experiencing poverty.
At the same time, Wilson has pushed forward on his campaign pledge to expand shelter capacity. The administration is working to add hundreds of shelter beds with the goal of ending unsheltered homelessness by the end of the year.
Councilor Morillo Pushes Back
Morillo rejected the mayor’s claims in a social media post, saying Wilson mischaracterized the impacts of her amendment.
“Mayor Wilson could’ve called me to clarify and ask questions before blasting us in a newsletter,” she wrote. “But of course he has to find a scapegoat when he doesn’t magically end homelessness on 12/1 by warehousing people.”
What Happens Next
The City Council will consider Morillo’s amendment, along with several other proposed budget changes, during Wednesday’s meeting, which begins at 9:30 a.m. The outcome could significantly shape how Portland approaches homelessness and community support in the year ahead.
