“Still No.” –Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, On Whether The City Should Give Out Tarps And Tents To Houseless During Record Snowfall

City commissioner of public safety Rene Gonzalez oversees Portland Street Response which, among other services, provided hundreds of tents and tarps to the city’s houseless community last year. Last Tuesday, Gonzalez banned employees of bureaus he manages from distributing such shelter items, citing unsubstantiated claims that fires in tents and under tarps were a danger to the city, even as weather forecasts predicted sub-freezing temperatures.⁣
⁣
Wednesday brought over 10 inches of snow to Portland, the largest dump in 80 years. As most residents attempted to navigate the treacherous streets to return to their dwellings, houseless Portlanders did their best to hunker down outside to survive the frigid conditions. ⁣
⁣
When asked if he would rethink the ban, Gonzalez responded, “Still no.” When asked whether he thought the city should provide housing for houseless residents, he responded, “also no.” ⁣
⁣
His stance remains that if houseless people want shelter, they should go to temporary public warming centers.
⁣
“Fires are a nuisance to the public, and people surviving on the street should look for other creative, non-offensive solutions to warm themselves or cook their food,” said Gonzalez. When asked once again if providing tents and tarps could help, he remained steadfast: “No.” ⁣