Cities Crack Down on Daytime Homeless Camping

Portland's city council has voted to ban public homeless camping during daytime hours and near certain public areas such as schools, parks, and busy streets. The homeless can camp in nonrestricted areas from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. The ordinance also codifies a 2018 federal court ruling that bars local governments from arresting people for sleeping outside when not enough shelter is available but does allow "objectively reasonable" limits on where, when and how campsites can be set up. The new law will be implemented in phases with enforcement that could begin in late July, and violators would receive a warning the first two times, followed by penalties of fines of up to $100 or as many as 30 days in jail.