This week, an interactive map was released that shows the restricted camping areas of Portland. These were highlighted in red, which mostly represented the western part of the city. Specifically, the northwest region of Portland was most restrictive when it came to illegal camping. However, the map also showed that the bulk of Portland allowed for legal camping. In fact, roughly 75% of Portland still allowed for legal camping spots. This got Portland locals questioning the legitimacy of the camping ban and whether it was merely a political stunt rather than a genuine policy.

A new map shows where people *aren't* allowed to camp under Portland's new camping ban — but the city isn't identifying where people can legally set up a tent overnight. https://t.co/tnkJeyAkja

— Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee) August 23, 2023

This means that theoretically, if you live in a non-red area, then someone can potentially camp outside of your property without recourse. What’s even more infuriating is that vast swathes of the illegal zones are forest areas anyway. This means that the majority of Portland’s suburban and urban areas allow for public camping for the homeless.

Based on the linked article, it will be interesting to see if Mayor Wheeler does go through with his plan or whether it was just public relations jargon. Regardless, it doesn’t look great if you’re living in Portland.