The Supreme Court recently overturned a 9th Circuit decision barring West Coast cities from imposing penalties on homeless populations unless alternatives were offered, (“Supreme Court reverses Oregon homelessness case, finds Grants Pass public camping laws aren’t ‘cruel and unusual,’” June 28). This decision serves one important purpose for Portland: it returns us to the same federal guidelines governing cities like Boston and New York. It does not overrule HB 3115 or our local camping guidelines.

It also does not change our moral obligations. We must provide shelter or approved campsite options to people who are homeless. We need to provide public assistance to this population. I believe our mental health and drug treatment services are inadequate. Those who are attempting to avoid losing housing, and those who need a hand in returning to housing, deserve our help.

Providing those options also makes it easier for us to enforce rules that mitigate the harms of unregulated street camping. We must create systems and enforce rules that promote the safety of all members of the community. It is time to put blocked sidewalks, dangerous roadside encampments and shigella outbreaks behind us.

By providing triage-level care and appropriate shelter locations we can improve the lives of the unhoused population, provide geographic stability to enhance the delivery of services and minimize the impacts to surrounding communities.

The end of the Grants Pass case is the end of an excuse we’ve used because we were uncomfortable with moving beyond ideology and into the murky world of tangible choices. There is no way out but forward, and no better time than now.

Eli Arnold, Portland

Arnold is a candidate for Portland City Council in District 4

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