Politics & Government
After 4 Homeless Deaths, Mayor Asks for Help
New emergency shelters set up for this unusually cold winter are not enough to keep up with demand.
PORTLAND, OR — Four homeless people have died in Portland this winter, the latest a 29-year-old man found in the woods Tuesday near Southwest Barbur Boulevard. Four people died of exposure in the five years preceding this brutal winter, according to an OregonLive.com report.
Mayor Ted Wheeler, speaking at a City Hall press conference Tuesday, joined advocates for the homeless in a call for volunteer assistance and donations to help as many as 2,000 homeless people get through the unusually cold weather. While there are more beds for the homeless this season thanks to emergency shelters, that is not nearly enough, the mayor said.
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Photo by Oswaldo Gago via Flickr Commons