Homeless people in Oregon in the United States may soon be able to sue those who force them off their porches under a new law decriminalizing the use of tents in public spaces.
“Many people in Oregon have experienced homelessness because of economic difficulties, a lack of safe and affordable housing, an inability to find employment, and a disintegrating safety net,” reads the recently introduced bill by Democrats. As reported by The Telegraph on Sunday.
So this new law, dubbed the Right to Rest Act, would give homeless people legislative ammunition to sue those who ask them to leave a place for $1,000, rather than allow them “without discrimination and a time limit.” “ to stay in place. , continued the English media.
However, the project is not publicly unanimous because the problem of homelessness is already well established in the state and given the delays in police response would be a “recipe for disaster”, according to entrusted Megan Fraction, a resident of the state ” Telegraph”.
“I work in low-income housing and the crime associated with the camps [de sans-abri] makes my vulnerable residents less safe,” she said.
“We need to stop promoting homelessness and depriving the homeless of the pride of being able to fend for themselves. Also, there are more homeless people moving to our city,” responded Gretchen Blyss, another resident.
Instead, others fear the new law will allow lawyers to line their pockets at public expense with a “cavalcade of civil lawsuits against law-abiding citizens and landlords,” Jeffrey Bennett told the media.