Oregon drafts law to allow homeless people to sue neighbors who "harass" them

Democratic congressmen from Oregon introduced a bill that would allow - among other things - homeless people to sue for up to $1,000 against people they consider to be "harassing" them.

Oregon House Bill 3501 from the Oregon House of Representatives defines harassment as "deliberate and intentional conduct directed at a homeless person that a reasonable person would consider seriously alarming, tormenting or terrorizing the homeless person."

Oregon 2023 HB3501 Introduced by Verónica Silveri on Scribd

The rule shields homeless encampments

The standard - known as Right to Rest Law- states that "homeless persons" will be able to "use public spaces in the same way as any other person, without discrimination on the basis of their housing situation", and establishes that the homeless people have the right to "move freely in public spaces without discrimination.".

The bill would also decriminalize the notorious homeless encampments. It provides that homeless persons shall have "a reasonable expectation of privacy in any property owned by the person, regardless of whether the property is located in a public space."

Homelessness increased in 2022

In 2022, homelessness in this state increased. According to data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Policy Research and Development, there were 14,655 homeless people last year (a 22.5% increase over 2020).

In the capital city (Portland), Mayor Ted Wheeler's office reported a 50% increase in homelessness from 2019 to 2022. The Democrat also revealed that the number of homeless encampments in the city had exceeded 700.

In addition, Portland' s census data showed that the city had lost 0.04% of its population, after growing for 30 years in a row.