The Portland City Council unanimously approved the revised public camping ordinance on May 8, 2024.
These regulations:
- Clarify the definition of camping.
- Clarify the prohibition on camping for individuals who have reasonable alternate shelter or who decline an offer of reasonable alternate shelter.
- Establish rules prohibiting camp activities and conditions that threaten public health and safety.
- Allow police to issue citations to individuals who violate the ordinance.
Read the Public Camping Ordinance
Overview
If a person has access to reasonable alternate shelter, they cannot camp on public property.
The City also sets restrictions on camping conditions and activities that threaten public health and safety. (See below.)
Enforcement
Enforcement of the City's public space regulations is carried out by the Portland Police Bureau. Starting November 1, 2025, if an officer observes a violation of city code, they may issue a citation. At this time, officers will not be arresting individuals for violation of the ordinance. However, if officers witness other criminal behavior at the time of citation or find that a person being cited has existing warrants, an arrest may be made for other infractions.
Persons who receive a citation will be given a date to appear before the court. If they plead or are found guilty the court, in its discretion, may impose any sanction contemplated by the code. The Mayor's office has given guidance that individuals should be referred to resources (shelter, detox, etc.) whenever possible, but the court will, ultimately, determine any penalties.
The City's goal is to ensure that enforcement is consistent, fair, and clearly understood by everyone living in or interacting with Portland's public spaces.
Get data from the first five weeks of enforcement
Camping Restrictions
A person may not camp in the following manners at any time:
- Obstruct access to pedestrian use zone (i.e., sidewalk) or private property or businesses adjacent to the public right-of-way.
- Start or maintain any fire or use a gas heater in or around a campsite.
- Assemble, disassemble, sell, offer to sell, distribute, offer to distribute, or store multiple bicycles or automobiles.
- Camp on property marked "no trespassing" by the City.
- Set up any type of permanent or temporary fixture or structure of any material(s) in or upon public property or public right-of-way.
- Dig soils, alter infrastructure, cause environmental damage, or damage trees.
- Store personal belongings, or other objects, more than two feet outside the tent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this ordinance criminalize homelessness?
No, the ordinance establishes City Code that prohibits camping when shelter is available and creates rules prohibiting certain camp activities and conditions that threaten public health and safety. The goal is to connect people with services and maintain public safety, not to impose punishment. Portlanders who do not have access to reasonable alternate shelter will not be cited if they adhere to the objectively reasonable ordinance restrictions.
Is the city opening additional shelters?
Yes. The City operates several alternative shelters, which offer roughly 800 beds. In addition, the City has announced several overnight shelters with over 1500 available beds. These sites just represent a subset of the shelters in Portland. Outreach teams offer a variety of opportunities for folks seeking shelter, including pods, congregate shelters, and more.
How will you determine if reasonable shelter is available?
Portland Police work with outreach teams and have access to real-time availability information for the City's overnight shelters, and referral access to other local shelter beds as well. "Reasonable" will depend on the individual and their needs and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
What happens if all the shelters are full?
Police have real-time data about shelter availability. If there are no open beds, that means no reasonable alternate shelter is available, and police will not cite people for camping on public property. However, they may cite people who are violating the restrictions, like starting a fire, blocking a building exit, blocking the sidewalk, etc.
How will officers prioritize enforcement?
Enforcement will follow a focused approach. Campsites may be selected for enforcement based on assessments by the Impact Reduction Team and offers of shelter given by the City Outreach Team, particularly where conditions pose a risk to the surrounding community.
Trained officers also have discretion to act on observed violations in the field. Enforcement efforts will be coordinated with other City teams that regularly engage with people experiencing homelessness to help identify chronic problem areas and high-impact campsites.
Why is Mayor Wilson beginning enforcement again after pausing in early 2025?
The City's overnight shelters and day centers offer safe spaces for people experiencing homelessness to rest and connect to services. With these resources now online, the City is ready to take actions that will reduce public camping and invite campers indoors, on a path toward more permanent stability. Reinforcement of the camping regulations is part of the Mayor's broader plan to end unsheltered homelessness while repairing, restoring and revitalizing Portland.
What kind of training have police officers received?
The camping ordinance will be enforced by Portland Police Bureau's Neighborhood Response Teams and the Central Precinct Bike Squad. These teams are trained and have prior experience enforcing this ordinance. They are familiar with engaging individuals experiencing homelessness and bring that experience to their enforcement approach.
Will campers be arrested?
Mayor Wilson has directed Portland Police to start enforcing the camping regulations again by issuing citations to violators. At this time, no arrests will be made as a direct result of a camping ordinance violation. However, existing warrants or other criminal behavior witnessed by police could result in arrest and additional charges.
If someone is camping on public property and reasonable alternate shelter is available, they will be directed to shelter resources. They could be given a citation by police if they refuse to utilize that shelter.
If someone is camping on public property in violation of the City's regulations around camp conditions and activities (blocking a sidewalk or building entrance, having a fire, excessive trash, etc.) they could be given a citation.
Police will have discretion in all situations, and the goal will be to connect people to resources as much as possible, while still maintaining safety, sanitation and public access on sidewalks, streets, parks and shared spaces.
Citations will come with a court date. Mayor Wilson is encouraging minimal fines and connections with services and resources through the courts in lieu of penalties. However, if they plead or are found guilty, the court, in its discretion, may impose any sanction contemplated by the code.
Won't criminal charges make it harder for people to find housing, jobs and stability?
Penalties associated with a camping ordinance citation will ultimately be determined by a judge. Mayor Wilson encourages the courts to consider diversion and other alternatives to fines and jail in order to minimize the impact on peoples' criminal and credit history, both of which can affect someone's ability to secure housing.
The goal of renewed enforcement of the City's camping regulations is to use the legal tools we have available to maintain sanitation and safety in our public spaces, while guiding people to services through law enforcement intervention. An interaction with police or the courts can create opportunities to break cycles of isolation and interrupt patterns of disengagement, which can be an important first step towards stability.
What outreach is the city doing?
Outreach and education have continued throughout the year and will ramp up ahead of enforcement. Outreach teams are engaging with people experiencing homelessness and shelter providers to share information about ordinance changes. We're expanding both printed and digital materials to support outreach before November 1.
More than 3,000 brochures outlining the ordinance and listing resources have been printed in English and Spanish. Copies have been distributed to the County's supply center for pickup by street outreach and homeless service teams, as well as to key City groups including Portland Police Neighborhood Response, City Outreach, CHAT, Portland Street Response, and operators of City shelters and day centers. Additional hard copy and electronic brochures have been provided to any organizations that requested them.
Posters are also being printed for display in City-run shelters and day centers, with copies available to other providers upon request. In addition, Portland Solutions staff have added a page to the City's website with ordinance details and answers to frequently asked questions.
Will Portland Street Response be a part of enforcement efforts?
Portland Street Response (PSR) does not participate in enforcement of any criminal laws. PSR will continue to provide service connections for people in crisis, including shelter and other resources for people experiencing homelessness.
How can I report a camping ordinance violation to police?
Citations will be issued at the discretion of Portland Police officers, not based on reports submitted by community members. If you are concerned about a camp, see next question.
How do I report a campsite?
Please use ONE of the following methods:
- Click here to report a campsite
- Call 311.
Do not call 911 to report a campsite.
What is a pedestrian use zone?
A pedestrian use zone (or through zone) is an area specifically designated for pedestrians to safely navigate the City. Keeping these areas clear helps ensure Portlanders can get to and from places, particularly those with limited mobility, strollers, etc.
Does this ordinance apply to RVs, cars, and other vehicles?
Yes. Camping in a RV, car, or other vehicle in the public right-of-way is subject to the ordinance.
History of the Camping Ordinance
- June 2023. City Council approved a policy setting limits on when, where and how people could camp in Portland, which became widely referred to as the Time Place Manner (TPM) Ordinance. TPM was designed to allow the City to enforce existing City Code prohibiting camping on public property, while still complying with state law, which mandates that local jurisdictions must keep any laws regulating homeless camping "objectively reasonable as to time, place and manner with regards to persons experiencing homelessness." The TPM ordinance banned camping when reasonable alternate shelter or housing was available. It also prohibited camping on public property between 8pm and 8am ("time" restrictions), and banned camping anytime in parks, along riverbanks, on public docks, near busy streets, schools, and homeless shelters ("place" restrictions). Lastly, it prohibited camp conditions and activities like excessive trash, fires, and digging or altering the landscape ("manner" restrictions).
- November 2023. In response to a legal challenge brought by five homeless Portlanders, the TPM ordinance was legally blocked, and the City decided not to appeal the injunction due to the time the process would take.
- May 2024. In response to the legal injunction, Mayor Ted Wheeler drafted a new ordinance that stripped away the rules around "time" and "place." The new ordinance proposal only kept the "manner" restrictions around camp activities and conditions and maintained a prohibition on camping when reasonable alternative shelter was available. That ordinance was passed unanimously by City Council on May 8, 2024.
- September 2024. Enforcement began. Under Mayor Ted Wheeler, enforcement of the camping ordinance was limited, reserved for a select number of special cases in which a person was violating both the "manner" restrictions and was also refusing an offer of shelter.
- February 2025. Mayor Keith Wilson suspended enforcement of the camping ordinance. Instead he focused on creating overnight shelter beds and day centers to bring more unsheltered Portlanders indoors, connected to services.
- October 2025. Mayor Wilson asked City staff to prepare to resume enforcement of the camping ordinance starting November 1, 2025.