People experiencing homelessness ought to have access to shelter — this is a premise of the state's General Assistance law — and it's what I believe helps people experiencing hard times: shelter and/or housing first. Portland's HSC and Family Shelters do provide hygiene facilities. But your question relates to how people who are homeless and unsheltered gain access to public hygiene facilities. I think we need to focus work, partnership and resources on getting people sheltered so that they can have access to both hygiene facilities and other services that will help them more broadly.
I do believe in continuing efforts to feed people who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness. And I hope that meal distribution and/or meals being provided and eaten in any given location is a chance to engage with people so that they can be paired with shelter and services.
I support the city's efforts to work with, and help fund nonprofit organizations in order to provide for day space and overnight warming space in winter.
I have in the past, and would again advocate for increased subsidy to towns/cities in response to the state's General Assistance law. I think access to shelter, housing, healthcare, behavioral health services, and recovery support is not uniquely a municipal issue to manage — rather a much larger issue that we can and should address with state leadership, and regional collaboration (throughout the state). Portland is not alone in struggling to keep pace with costs and funding. People are struggling with the need for shelter, housing, healthcare, behavioral health services, and recovery support throughout our state.
I'd want to engage deeply with as much of the latest research and data as can be collected — and I'd like to talk with communities who continue to adjust policy in order to understand best practice. This very recent article from The Atlantic is worth a read, in my opinion. For me, the goal of good municipal policy is to help people. When it comes to an issue as complex as SUD I want to be clear that I am not an expert, clear that I am willing to listen to all sides/info, clear that I think good policy making and democracy itself benefits from using research and data to inform next steps.
Transportation infrastructure to and from the HSC to the peninsula needs to safely accommodate walkers, and cyclists. Public transit ought to make travel from one point in the city to another as easy and straightforward as possible. These are critical goals, in my opinion, for all who traverse our city: safe byways using many modes of transportation.