‘Feel Like A Prisoner In My Home’: Blue-City Residents Steer Clear Of Homeless Encampments After Threats, Assaults

Residents of an infamous homeless camp in Portland, Oregon, have been harassing local condo dwellers, according to KGW 8 News.

Neighbors have reported a long-time homeless camp underneath the Northwest Naito Parkway, known as “The Pit,” over 100 times in two years, according to KGW 8 News. Neighbors of “The Pit” report being harassed, threatened and even assaulted by residents of the homeless encampment.

‘I feel like a prisoner. I feel like a prisoner in my home,” Aaliyah Mays, a resident of the condos across from “The Pit,” told KGW 8 News. Mays was threatened by a man with a large hunting knife walking by the camp. “I’ve never been that scared in my life,” Mays said.

Another neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, alleged being assaulted, according to KGW 8 News.

“They started punching me and telling me that people like me weren’t welcome here and if they saw me here again, they would make me sorry,” she told KGW 8 News.

A settlement earlier this year established that camps are no longer allowed to block city sidewalks, according to KGW 8 News. Enforcement of that settlement starts July 1.

“Mayor Wheeler strongly believes that everyone should have access to sidewalks to navigate the city safely, and this is especially true for Portlanders with mobility challenges,” a spokesperson for Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler told KGW 8 News.