• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
WRAP

WRAP

Western Regional Advocacy Project

  • Donate Now
  • Get Email Updates
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About
    • 20 Years of Unhoused People Fighting for Dignity + Respect
    • 40 Years of Fighting
    • History
    • Mission
    • Strategy
    • Members
    • Board / Staff
  • Campaigns
    • Business Improvement Districts
    • House Keys Not Sweeps
      • TARGETED, BANISHED, DISPLACED & SWEPT
    • Legal Defense Clinics Project
    • Homeless Bill of Rights
    • Without Housing
    • Street Outreach
  • Organizing Tools
    • Without Housing Organizing Toolkit
    • Homeless Bill of Rights Campaign Manual
    • WRAP Organizers Manual
    • WRAP Artwork
  • Resources
    • Pipe Dreams and Picket Fences Report
    • Art in Action Power Point Slide Show
    • Hobos to Street People
    • House Keys Book
    • Political Education
    • Legal Research
  • Media
    • Newsletters
    • Blog
    • Hobos to Street People Art Show
    • Street Newspapers
    • Sweeps Gallery Videos
    • Videos
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Become a Monthly Sustainer
    • Volunteer
    • Support WRAP
    • WRAP Newsletters & Updates Sign Up

Homeless Group Gains Stable Site; R2DToo Receives City’s Blessing after Protracted Struggle

February 26, 2016 by Jonathan Leave a Comment

Photo by Ruthie Benjamin
Photo by Ruthie Benjamin

Story by Pete Shaw

After nearly two-and-a-half years of negotiations, town halls, council meetings, and testimony, Right 2 Dream Too (R2DToo) is moving to a new home near the Tilikum Crossing. In a 4-1 vote on February 24, the City Council approved a resolution whereby the rest area for people without housing will relocate across the river to a 9,000 sq ft City-owned plot at SE Harrison and 3rd.

Though the move was opposed by many area companies and business interests, particularly East Side Plating, it comes during a City-wide housing state of emergency and the council has acknowledged the important role R2DToo plays in helping many houseless people get into housing. (This was the second attempt to provide a suitable site for R2DToo. On the verge of approving a spot under the Broadway Bridge in 2013, the City reneged in the wake of vehement–and at times ugly–pushback from Pearl District residents and developers.)

“You’ve come up with a self-help solution that deserves our respect,” Mayor Charlie Hales told R2DToo members who were in attendance. “And that’s what this is about–about respect. So thank you. Thank you Ibrahim (Mubarak, one of the founders of R2DToo) and everyone else involved for creating a valid, short-term temporary solution to a really big problem the we all need to work on.”

On February 18, the council heard 3 hours of public testimony, much of which was in opposition to R2DToo’s potential move. A scheduled vote was delayed when Commissioner Steve Novick asked for more time to discuss the issue with staff, leaving members of R2DToo understandably nervous going into Wednesday’s meeting.

The first order of business was approving a resolution confirming that R2DToo would comply with the zoning code of its new location. Commissioner Fritz spoke in tones that gave the impression she knew both resolutions would pass, as did Hales. The resolution passed 4-1, with Commissioner Nick Fish opposed.

The resolution approving R2DToo’s move took a bit more time. Commissioner Dan Saltzman introduced an amendment for the rest area to be off limits to people under 18 between 8 PM and 7 AM and that “Right 2 Dream Too shall refer all pregnant women who stay on the premises to a federally qualified health center for prenatal care.” The second portion of the amendment drew protest from Fritz who asked Saltzman, “Why would a person who lives outside have to go to a center when people who live inside can go to a private provider?”

Photo by Pete Shaw
Photo by Pete Shaw

Though the amendment was later struck down, Saltzman made clear he was not letting go, saying he had been disturbed by testimony last week in which people said that pregnant women were intentionally avoiding hospitals because they are afraid of losing their children. Some people in the council chambers replied, “It’s not fear. It’s truth,” but it looks certain that Saltzman will insist upon revisiting the issue later on during the crafting of the use agreement.

Ironically, it was Saltzman who cast the deciding vote to approve R2DToo’s move, a rather surreal conclusion, as he has often been the group’s antagonist. When he oversaw the Housing Bureau, Saltzman’s actions–whether levying $25,000 in fines against it for illegal camping or publicly worrying that R2DToo was “bleeding” money away from affordable housing–often made clear he was not an R2DToo fan.

Yet not only did he vote in favor of the move–while noting that he still believes affordable housing is more desirable than “tent camps as a solution to homelessness”–he spoke of R2DToo in glowing terms. “I give a lot of respect to R2DToo in the last four or five years,” Saltzman said. “They have really proven to myself and many others who were skeptical about their ability to maintain alcohol and drug free operations; to maintain a very good environment in and around the neighborhood. They’ve proved me and other people wrong.”

“I think it will only be a matter of time before East Side Plating and Right 2 Dream Too are best buddies, and I think that synergy will develop,” said Saltzman, referring to the company whose land abuts R2DToo’s new home. “I think this will be something we will look back in a year or two from now and we’ll probably wonder what all the controversy was, just like many people look at where Right 2 Dream Too now is and say, ‘What was all that controversy about four or five years ago when Saltzman was making a stink about it?’”

It was an extraordinary moment on this extraordinary day.

Fritz talked about receiving 537 phone calls from people who said the City needed to do more to deal with houselessness. She agreed with their position–“Being in tents is not a solution. It’s a temporary place for safety off the streets.”–while adding that solving the problem will require much more money than the City has to spend on the issue. “For those who are saying, ‘yes, take care of people who live outside, and don’t cut police or fire or anything else I care about,’–it just can’t be done.”

“Today my head and my heart are in conflict,” said Fish, the lone ‘no’ vote. While acknowledging Fritz’s hard work and dedication as well as R2DToo being a “symbol of hope, resilience, and determination,” Fish said he found the resolution overrode the zoning code and last use goals, disregarded concerns raised by the Central Eastside Industrial Council, and ignored issues of safety related to East Side Plating’s use of dangerous chemicals. He also found it problematic that the site would fall under the auspices of the Office of Management and Finance rather than the Housing Bureau and that the plan suffered from a “lack of clear accountability measures, benchmarks for success, or even a budget.”

While Novick stated those concerns are valid, he noted, “We unfortunately have people sleeping outside all around the city and we do not have places inside for all of them to go. The mayor and Commissioner Fritz have worked on this for a very long time, and I don’t have another site to suggest.”

Brad Gibson, JoAnn Hardesty, Ibrahim Mubarak, and Lisa Fay after the resolution passed. Photo by Pete Shaw.
Brad Gibson, JoAnn Hardesty, Ibrahim Mubarak, and Lisa Fay after the resolution passed. Photo by Pete Shaw.

At the previous council meeting, some opponents expressed fear of being in close proximity to people without housing. Novick sought to allay those anxieties by repeating what Chief of Police Larry O’Dea had told him–“Police do not get called to Right 2 Dream Too.”

Hales talked about the struggle to find a suitable site for the rest area. “It’s difficult. It’s messy. It’s imperfect. It’s incomplete. But it’s better than drift. It’s better than accepting that homelessness is permanent and that we’ll never get any better.”

The resolution’s approval was an important achievement for Commissioner Amanda Fritz, a stalwart ally of the people of Right 2 Dream Too. After losing the 2013 site, she continued pushing, and with Hales’ help, finally made it over the finish line. In typical fashion, Fritz thanked a long list of those who had made success possible, and following the meeting, congratulated members of R2DToo who were awash in smiles at their enormous victory.

Also a huge win was the fact that a government body was willing both implicitly and explicitly to acknowledge the humanity of people without housing by overriding the arguments–many of which were dehumanizing–of so many of R2DToo’s opponents.

Most of all, though, there seemed to be relief that a great weight has been lifted from the many people without housing who use R2DToo–a safe space that now has been ratified by City Council.

“We made it,” said R2DToo Vice-Chair Brad Gibson, while leaving the council chambers. “We have stability.”

Originally Post at: http://www.portlandoccupier.org/2016/02/26/homeless-group-gains-stable-site-r2dtoo-receives-citys-blessing-after-protracted-struggle/

Filed Under: Blog, News, WRAP Members

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Footer

Instagram Feed

Urgent Help Needed Grants Pass is facing over 100 Urgent Help Needed 
Grants Pass is facing over 100F temperatures for the next 4 days Our homeless neighbors have no shelter, no shade & no water. Please help by donating bottled water or funds - we'll put every drop to good use! 
Venmo | Helen Cruz 
https://account.venmo.com/u/Helen-Cruz-30

Let's come together for those left in the heat, every bottle & dollar makes a difference
Community spirit and perspective and a cool organi Community spirit and perspective and a cool organizing training!
With sweeps and fascist policing/immigration tactics ramping up all over the country, we must make sure our initiatives to fight them are informed by, come from and are supported by the people who are directly impacted!!! Street outreach is how we do this!
https://conta.cc/46GwXKG
Join WRAP on Tuesday, July 22 on zoom at 3pm pt | Join WRAP on Tuesday, July 22 on zoom at 3pm pt | 4 pm mt | 6 pm et for a training on the different methodologies, context and implementation of street outreach! There will be examples from WRAP members who represent organizations in different states who have been fighting back against criminalization and sweeps in their communities.
Accountable organizing through street outreach! 

With sweeps and fascist policing/immigration tactics ramping up all over the country, we must make sure our initiatives to fight them are informed by, come from and are supported by the people who are directly impacted!!! 

Street outreach is how we do this! 

📣 WRAP : STREET OUTREACH TRAINING 
🗓️ Tuesday, July 22 | 🕒 3pm PT | 4pm MT | 6pm ET
🎟️ RSVP : bit.ly/wrapoutreach 
✉️ Contact joemae@wraphome.org for any questions

Read More: https://conta.cc/3ZXkCxS
Last year, on April 22nd, I stood with over 700 pe Last year, on April 22nd, I stood with over 700 people from around the country in front of the US Supreme Court demanding that the court focus on proven solutions to homelessness like housing, and not on things like handcuffs and jails that make homelessness worse. Months later, SCOTUS shamefully decided that homeless people are not included in the Constitution’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment and could be ticketed or arrested for simply sleeping outside. https://conta.cc/44m9rjl
The city continues to sneak in their sweeps of our The city continues to sneak in their sweeps of our friends and neighbors to nowhere. They sneak their sweeps in and hope those that care and give a sh&! against this violence won’t show up. We will do all we can to challenge this and won’t let the city block us from the community care they are afraid of.

Join us for a virtual gathering to learn how to show up, how to build community care. July 10th from 7-8:30pm. DM us for more info.

#sweepskill #fucksweeps #stopthesweeps #stoptheharrellhorrorshow #communitycare #showup
🏠Housing is a human right, and it is about time 🏠Housing is a human right, and it is about time our communities actually accept this!

On June 28th 2024, Grants Pass v Johnson was overturned (a case that had required cities to not criminalize the unhoused if adequate shelter was not provided by the city). On June 28th from 10am-12pm, we are asking our community to gather on the Missoula Courthouse lawn to show our city that we don’t support the ways they are criminalizing unhoused Missoulians. 📣

After the rally, from 12-2pm we will hear from various local organizations that are impacted and addressing this issue in our community. 🫂 From those working in the legal system to renters to mutual aid groups, our entire community is impacted by the overturning of Grants Pass v Johnson, the closure of the Johnson Street shelter, and the criminalization of unhoused Missoulians. Municipal elections are coming up this year and it is critical that we show city council where our priorities lie.
The Sovereign Roses Virtual Alumni Chapter invites The Sovereign Roses Virtual Alumni Chapter invites you to WRAP with the Roses! Learn more about the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP) and a potential Project I.M.P.A.C.T area we’re exploring. WRAP is dedicated to ending homelessness and poverty by uplifting the voices of those directly impacted and advocating for systemic change rooted in justice and equity.
Discover why WEE believe that partnering with WRAP is a powerful step toward making a real, sustainable difference in our communities.

📅 Date: June 30

🕔 Time: 5:52 PM CST

📍 Zoom:
Meeting ID: 98812438845
Code: 567524

🌐 Learn more about WRAP: www.wraphome.org (http://www.wraphome.org/)

Together, we can push for change, challenge injustice, and build impact that lasts. Don’t miss this opportunity to get informed and get involved!

#GammaSigmaSigma #ServiceSorority #SRVAC #WRAP #Projectimpact #GSS #SFE #ServiceFriendshipEquailty
June 28th marks the One Year Anniversary of the Su June 28th marks the One Year Anniversary of the Supreme Court making it illegal to be homeless. Join me in the fight to push back! Helen Cruz
June 28 4-7pm | Echo Park Lake, LA for more inform June 28 4-7pm | Echo Park Lake, LA
for more information: @lacanetwork_official
Instagram post 18073374346940611 Instagram post 18073374346940611
Follow on Instagram

Facebook Icon

Facebook Feed

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

This content isn't available right now

When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
4 days ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • likes 1
  • Shares: 1
  • Comments: 0

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Twitter Icon

Twitter Feed

Twitter feed is not available at the moment.

YouTube icon

Youtube Code

Our Channel

Copyright © 2025 Western Regional Advocacy Project WRAP · Log in