Longtime Portland restaurant concerned about mounting downtown homeless issues
By BRIDGET CHAVEZ
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PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — Many businesses in downtown Portland are frustrated with the City of Portland’s lack of action when it comes to the issue of homelessness and cleaning up the streets. Dan & Louis Oyster Bar has been in downtown Portland for more than 100 years and the owners said they’ve never had so many issues until now.
“It’s hard to see so many people that either have mental illness, drug addictions, and probably just couldn’t pay their bills, end up on the street and not have any help from the city to help them get back on track,” owner Keoni Wachsmuth said.
Wachsmuth said he’s called the city multiple times but they still haven’t gotten any help.
“Right now it’s like a big trash pile everywhere it’s like a biohazard for sure,” Wachsmuth said. “We need help to kind of manage the streets.”
He added customers are also feeling frustrated and some of the trash is spilling over into parking spaces.
“It starts to kind of impede on businesses trying to make some money – we’re in a national pandemic and it’s already a struggle,” he said.
Wachsmuth said he and his wife have helped people get off the streets but they can’t do it alone.
“I can tell when somebody is like, ‘Man, can I get a job? I’m really trying to get my life together,’ I give them a shot. I can help about one person at a time because it’s a lot,” he said.
Wachsmuth said he’s now pleading with city leaders to do something because things are only getting worse.
“I had to deal with a gentleman that was waving a knife around for like an hour and a half and it took like an hour and a half to get the cops there and he was like threatening customers coming by and I’m putting myself in danger trying to deal with someone like that,” he said.
FOX 12 did reach out to the city of Portland for comment but have not yet heard back.
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