Oregon Law Center scores victory for people sleeping outside

by Joanne Zuhl

Homeless campers came out the winners in a settlement with the Oregon Department of Transportation that buys them time before their property is swept from camps.

The settlement, signed in August, puts into effect this month new guidelines that now require ODOT to post a pending camp sweep no less than 10 days and no more than 19 prior to confiscating property. The guidelines apply statewide, and are the result of a lawsuit filed by the Oregon Law Center on behalf of six homeless campers who lost property in sweeps in Southeast Portland.