TAKE ACTION

The city has “renewed the “temporary” lease for the Navigation Center built by Harbor of Hope on NW Naito Parkway.  It is a stunning and dishonest reversal of city promises and policy surrounding the original placement of the big green temporary tent on NW Naito.  The city is using a trick by having Prosper Portland approve a “permit” instead of a new lease.

The City is continuing to operate the center on the property formally deemed environmentally unsafe but minimally capped for temporary use only.  DEQ has not yet approved the continued use.  It would be an affront to all the local neighbors, the River District/Pearl community and the homeless. 

The neighborhood is already strained for services and overloaded with homeless.

City is continuing operation by “permit” for this promised temporary structure that effort is the ultimate in bait-and-switch.  

Oregon Harbor of Hope promised in the lease, in public statements, in writing and to the State Department of Environmental Quality that the facility was temporary – 5 years only.  

NOTE:  City, state and other approvals were all based on that “temporary” promise.

Now, the City, Prosper Portland is ignoring those promises, commitments and requirements, and all your communications ignoring those public commitments.

After the Navigation Center was forced on residents of the the area – the community initially embraced the Navigation center with many neighbors volunteering to cleanup the area surrounding and constantly working to see the good neighbor agreement (GNA) forced on the community was in fact honored.  

–In fact it never has been honored.

IMPORTANT: MAKE YOUR VIEWS KNOWN TODAY

Send an email to Portland City Council, Prosper Portland, PDNA and others:

DONATE

TO: The Honorable Ted Wheeler, Mayor, City of Portland Dan Ryan, Commissioner, City of Portland
Sharon Meieran, Commissioner, Multnomah County
RE: Petition to Stop the Proposed Safe Rest Village (SRV) on NW Naito Parkway

We, the undersigned residents and business owners of NW Portland request an immediate halt to the City and County plan for the Safe Rest Village (SRV) on NW Naito Parkway.

Programs to assist the homeless are essential. But, to succeed, they must be well planned and managed, and part of a comprehensive strategy to help individuals transition to homes and jobs. These efforts also must be shared by all communities. This SRV project is none of these.

Hastily announced by Commissioner Ryan as a ‘done deal’ – with no prior community consultation – officials have been unwilling to answer even the most basic questions. The SRV appears to be another hastily and poorly planned homeless program, poised to bring more community damage and, sadly, little long-term assistance for those in need.

We oppose this project because it:
• Was created behind closed doors – without public consultation – and announced as a ‘done deal’ under the cover of an ‘emergency declaration’;
• Will add yet another homeless project to a NW community that – perhaps more than
any in Portland – has lived with the impacts of poorly-managed homeless programs
(especially in the area roughly bordered by Burnside St, Naito Pkwy and NW 9th Ave);
• Will be right next to the existing, poorly managed green Navigation Center tent, with no
consideration for how – combined – this will multiply the ongoing and unanswered safety, crime and sanitation problems for the community;
• Will place the severely mentally ill, alcohol and drug addicted – some of the most difficult clients to treat – among high-density residential housing, home to thousands of families and children;
• Has failed to identify a competent management entity with demonstrated experience and success or share a comprehensive strategy for effective programming; and
• Won’t demonstrate how it will protect public health and safety, promising nothing more than a Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA), like those that have consistently failed to address rampant crime, safety, and sanitation issues around many other homeless projects in NW Portland, including the Navigation Center.

Thank you for adding your name to the over 850 people who have singed this petition already. 

(Note – many signers added their name to the paper edition of this petition before it was posted on the n4safe site) 

Thank you again for your support.

mayorwheeler@portlandoregon.gov Mayor Ted Wheeler

comm.rubio@portlandoregon.gov Carmen Rubio

CommissionerRyanOffice@portlandoregon.gov Dan Ryan

MappsOffice@portlandoregon.gov Mingus Mapps

cityattorneysoffice@portlandoregon.gov City Attorney Robert Taylor

Subscribe

Contact Us