Homeless in Lake Oswego

Really?  Homeless people in Lake Oswego?  You have to be kidding!

Urban problems have crept into Lake Oswego.  The question is, do we have the tools to fight homeless camping, drug use, harassment, loitering and more?  Is there a humane way to treat mentally ill people?  We can't hide from these problems - they are upon us.  To the streetcar fans out there - HCT will only exacerbate the problem, mostly in the East End.

We moved to Lake Oswego in 1974 knowing there is a population here that wanted a peaceful, safe and quiet life and would support a police forc that could achieve this goal.  I respect the work of our men and women in blue whose work is getting harder. Safety is a fundamental part of the quality of life in Lake Oswego, and we must be vigilant and pro-active to preserve it.

Tip:  Drive by a park, secluded business or apartment/condo parking lot or wide spot on a quiet roadway at night and look for cars or vans that people may be sleeping in.  From personal experience, I can tell you that while this is not common, it does happen.  Locals can cite where people camp at the edges of town, and within city limits.

What do the candidates for mayor and city council think about the problem?  

From the Lake Oswego Review, August 25, 2016

Prior weeks have similar postings. 

Police Log:

8/15/16 6:34 a.m. People exercising at Foothills Park were bothered by a man who was standing nearby and staring at them.

8/17/16 9:08 a.m. Two men who appeared to be homeless sat down in the street after knocking on the door of a home on Northshore Road.

8/19/16 9:22 a.m. A beat-up school bus with mattresses inside was reportedly parked on Overlook Drive.

8/19/16 3:01 p.m. A transient was found sleeping on City property. He was advised to sleep somewhere else.

8/21/16 10:01 p.m. An odd couple showed up at a park bench. The man disappeared, but the woman he left behind looked skinny, strung out and ill.