Portland mayor bans homeless encampments near highways over pedestrian deaths [View all]

The mayor of Oregon's most populous city on Friday banned encampments near highways and high-traffic intersections, saying homeless people comprised the majority of pedestrians who were killed in Portland traffic incidents last year.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler's emergency order enacting the ban is set to run at least until the evening of February 18.

The order bans camping of any kind in high-traffic areas. The order's preamble and Wheeler himself, however, focused on homeless people living in tents and other structures.

"We can no longer justify allowing our most vulnerable community members to be exposed to the dangers of camping in freeway and high crash corridors," Wheeler said in printed remarks released by his office Friday.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/portland-mayor-bans-homeless-encampments-near-highways-over-pedestrian-deaths/ar-AATvWnt