Uh, do they own the sidewalks? Why do they get to decide whether or not the city puts benches there?

It's a good point. The city may have to ignore the PRM's objections in order to satisfy the public that it's walking the talk on the SAFE report.

The PRM's position, however, makes it clear that there's more than one vision for the treatment of the city's homeless.

I was genuinely surprised to see no benches being put there today. Perhaps the SAFE group's oversight committee can discuss it at their next meeting.

The city would have to put in bleachers to accommodate the people who gather in front of the Rescue Mission.

I have to say, as someone who commuted by foot and bike over the Burnside Bridge for the past several years, that the people who hang out at that end of the bridge were always polite and friendly. This is a different crowd from the pan-handlers so many people complain about downtown. If people want to clear the west end of the bridge it is not because of any problems being caused, but because they don't want to look at poor people. Efforts should be focused on creating good transitional housing and services.

These people have been serving the homeless for many many years at this location, and they probably know better than anyones else if these benches will help their cause or hurt it. While benches seem perfectly reasonable on the surface of things, I say defer to those who live with the situation day in and day out on this one.

Kevin, that's one way of looking at it. Or you could say the City has different ideas from a religious organization about how to best serve the homeless. Given the "ten year plan to end homelessness," the city ultimately would prefer the rescue mission not to exist, and while there's lots of rhetoric on their website about getting people to change their lives, some say the rescue mission is doing more to encourage homelessness than to end it.

Anything that has to do with religion makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, so don't get the idea that I think these guys are the greatest thing since sliced bread when it comes to ending homelessness. I thought I heard that they make the guys sit through a sermon and such before they get fed. Nice...sort of like how I make my pet dog stand up on his back legs before I throw him a scrap of meat. Putting benches in front of the place makes it just that much easier to hang out and wait for the sermon and the free meal etc. So if THEY don't want to have the benches then it must mean it would create yet more of an attractive nuisance than the place already creates the way it is now.

Matt,
You're right. Portland Rescue Mission caused homelessness.

The earlier poster nailed when they pointed out that those hanging out in front of PRM aren't causing alot of the problems like aggressive panhandling, etc. that we see elsewhere in downtown.