[Hot Air] Portland, Oregon, like many cities on the left coast, is struggling with a growing homelessness crisis. But what can they do about it? One idea that’s now being floated is to change the building codes so that all new structures (including private property, not just government buildings) include spaces for people to "rest" and "feel welcome and safe." This understandably has prospective property owners concerned, since the wording is all quite vague and suggests that they will be forced to allow the homeless to camp in and around their buildings. (KATU News)
The obvious questions are already being raised. What specifically does "rest" mean in this context? Does that mean that new buildings will have to include spaces for the "unhoused" (their word) where they will be "protected from the weather?" That’s basically just an invitation for people to come trespass and stay there.