As Portland begins enforcing its citywide camping ban on November 1, Councilor Mitch Green has publicly denounced the policy, calling it inhumane and ineffective. In a statement issued on October 31, Green criticized both local and federal approaches to homelessness, comparing recent sweeps to actions previously carried out by ICE and the National Guard in other U.S. cities.
“It is a bad, cruel, and failed policy when the Trump administration does it, and it is a bad, cruel, and failed policy when the city of Portland does it,” Green stated.
Criticism of Enforcement Tactics
Green’s remarks come as Portland police begin enforcing new restrictions on camping in public spaces. He argued that these sweeps, which forcibly remove unhoused individuals from encampments, “lack compassion” and have devastating consequences. Citing recent data, Green noted that deaths among Portland’s homeless population quadrupled between 2019 and 2023, calling the trend a direct result of punitive policies that criminalize poverty.
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“These actions don’t solve homelessness—they simply move it around,” Green said. He emphasized that such enforcement measures are both costly to taxpayers and ineffective at achieving stability for those in need.
A Call for Compassionate Solutions
Instead of criminalization, Green is advocating for policies that promote stability, dignity, and opportunity. He urged city leaders to invest in low-barrier employment, direct rental assistance, food aid, and day shelters that provide essentials such as hygiene facilities, clothing, and case management.
“We need to focus on programs that move people closer to housing and stability, not policies that punish and further destabilize,” Green said. He believes these initiatives could help address visible poverty while maintaining respect for individuals’ dignity and humanity.
Long-Term Vision: Social Housing Model
Looking beyond short-term solutions, Green urged the city to adopt a Social Housing model, which would offer high-quality, permanently affordable housing accessible to a wide range of residents—including working families and the unhoused.
“The only real, lasting solution to homelessness is to provide deeply affordable housing for all,” he said, framing housing as a human right and the foundation of a healthy, equitable community.
A Call for Unity Over Division
Green concluded his statement by presenting Portland with a moral choice: continue policies rooted in displacement and division or embrace solidarity and care.
“We can either align ourselves with the politics of division, of sweeps, of cages, and of death—or we can choose the politics of solidarity, of housing, of healthcare, and of life,” he said.
Through his remarks, Councilor Green is urging both residents and policymakers to rethink how the city addresses homelessness—prioritizing compassion, prevention, and long-term solutions over punitive enforcement.
