Business owners in Washington County spoke out at a recent public meeting expressing alarm about the creation of homeless shelters near their businesses.  As reported by the Portland Tribune, Washington County government and Centro Cultural de Washington County have converted motels in Hillsboro, Forest Grove, and Aloha into housing for the homeless.

The Washington County Chamber of Commerce sponsored the August outdoor meeting in Hillsboro’s Shute Park where community members and business owners expressed frustration about the homeless shelter placements.  They confronted Washington County officials who proceeded with the project without first seeking input from the community.

Local business owners, many of them Latino, questioned why the Hillsboro shelter was placed in an area with so many Latino-owned businesses.  One business owner asked if officials thought the low-income make-up of the neighborhood would mean less push back from the community.

Business and community leaders like Hector Hinojosa, whose parents co-founded Centro Cultural, expressed deep frustration about officials acting before getting public feedback.

Shop owners shared that after a year and a half of struggling to make it through the pandemic, they are now dealing with the negative impacts of having the homeless near their businesses.  They expressed alarm that the homeless visibility is driving away customers who are concerned for their safety and making employees feel uneasy.

Washington County officials admitted they didn’t do enough to involve the community in the project and pledged to do better in seeking public comment in the future. They said they hope that getting the homeless into housing and connecting them with services will help solve the problem in the future.

If ever there was a time to be vigilant and pay attention to what our public officials are doing in our communities, it is now.