‘Stick over carrot’: progressive Portland takes a hard turn on homelessness

As the liberal city's hands-off policy is swept away in favor of clearing street camps and a push to centralized shelters, unhoused people feel the pressure

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On a recent Monday, Jessie Burke stepped out of the lobby of the Society Hotel and into an unusual scene: quiet. The sprawling tent encampments that once lined the sidewalks of Portland's Old Town were mostly gone.

This is what should be normal," said Burke, who bought and renovated the 132-year-old Mariners Building in 2013 and transformed it into the chic hotel on 3rd Avenue.