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Published: Dec. 22, 2021, 6:15 a.m.
By Guest Columnist | The Oregonian
Bodo Heiliger and Beven Byrnes
Heiliger is head of school at International School of Portland. Byrnes is principal and executive director at Bridges Middle School.
Three months ago, Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan announced plans to site one of the city’s first “Safe Rest Villages” at 2300 SW Naito Parkway near downtown Portland. This new outdoor homeless shelter village will be a stone’s throw from our two schools, Bridges Middle School, an independent school serving fifth through eighth-grade students with learning disabilities, and the International School of Portland, an independent language immersion school with students from pre-K through fifth grade. Given the current unsanctioned encampments already near our schools, it’s a plan that we greet with a combination of hope, concern and clear expectations for the city.
Staff, students and parents of both schools are aware of the humanitarian crisis within our city and the need for the increased safety and well-being of its residents, both housed and unhoused. Our schools believe that global citizenship begins with our taking responsible action within and outside of our community. Our students, staff and families strive to actively model our schools’ values, including being open-minded, caring, deep-thinking and principled in our actions. As such, we wholeheartedly support the mission and vision of the Safe Rest Villages.
There have been many questions about why the city chose the Southwest Naito site, given its proximity to two schools. But this is not the first transitional village located close to a school. St. Johns Village is directly next to The Montessori House preschool and a block away from James John Elementary School. Administrators at The Montessori House and local community members have said that St. Johns Village has been a positive experience for both the neighborhood and the village residents. The village itself is beautifully maintained, and the residents are committed to being positive members of the community.
There are many lessons that we can harness from St. Johns Village, in tandem with the enforcement of local ordinances. The safety of our school communities is our top priority, and we share deep concerns about the unsanitary conditions, including trash, drug paraphernalia and human feces that we have already experienced with some nearby unsanctioned campsites. Currently, we are collaborating with representatives from the Downtown and South Portland Neighborhood Associations, Commissioner Ryan’s office and other stakeholder groups to develop a comprehensive good neighbor agreement that outlines our expectations for the success of the Southwest Naito Safe Rest Village, including:
- No camping in the vicinity of the Safe Rest Village, the International School of Portland and Bridges Middle School: This includes the enforcement of Emergency Ordinance 190478, which prioritizes the relocating of high-impact, unsanctioned campsites within 150 feet of any public, private
,or parochial preschool, elementary or secondary school. - Clear expectations for Safe Rest Village residency: Residents will be accepted by referral only, and we expect the contracted site operator to ensure background screening of potential residents so that only those appropriate for living within the Safe Rest Village will be permitted.
- Robust safety and security measures: In addition to clearly articulated expectations for safety and security within the village, we expect to have a clear line of communication between the site operator and our schools.
We are committed to working with Commissioner Ryan and other city representatives to ensure that the site provides necessary support for our unhoused neighbors while also increasing the safety and security of our campuses by removing unsanctioned campsites nearby. We believe that Portland can, and should, both protect our students and set an example of what a compassionate community looks like.