A proposed ballot measure in Oregon threatens to make life even harder for our unhoused neighbors — by stripping away basic legal protections and giving cities sweeping new powers to forcibly remove people from public spaces, regardless of whether safer alternatives exist.

Backed by Oregon Business & Industry and the mayor of Salem, this measure would repeal a 2021 state law that ensures local camping bans must be “objectively reasonable.” That law was created to reflect the core truth behind a 9th Circuit court ruling: you can’t criminalize homelessness when people have nowhere else to go.

But now, with that federal ruling overturned, this ballot proposal aims to roll back Oregon’s own protections too. It would clear the way for more camp sweeps, more displacement, and more punishment of people for simply surviving outdoors, all while Oregon still faces a severe shortage of shelter and affordable housing.

The public is being told this is about “local control.” But we know what this really means: criminalizing poverty, erasing visibility, and pushing people out of sight instead of addressing the root causes of homelessness.

Sweeps don’t solve homelessness, they scatter people, destroy belongings, sever access to services, and cause trauma. What’s needed isn’t more crackdowns, but more housing, mental health care, addiction support, and dignity-centered solutions.

We call on all Oregon voters and lawmakers to reject this harmful measure and defend the rights of our unhoused neighbors. Oregon can’t fine, jail, or sweep its way out of a housing crisis.

Sign now to say: homelessness is a policy failure — not a crime. We need solutions, not more suffering.