People for Portland, a dark money organization, proposed a local initiative to divert resources away from long term solutions to homelessness to a strategy prioritizing emergency shelters, sweeps, and criminalizing homelessness. The Metro Attorney rejected the initiative as violating procedural constitutional requirements and People for Portland appealed. Counsel submitted “friends of the court” arguments on behalf of the Coalition of Communities of Color arguing that proposal was deceptive because it failed to include the full text of the proposed changes in the law. They also argued that provisions creating liability for local jurisdictions failing to enforce no-camping rules exceed Metro’s home rule authority. The court agreed and upheld the decision by Metro Attorney to not allow the initiative to be circulated.
Local Initiative to Divert Supportive Housing Service Funds Rejected as Unconstitutional
