Wendy, a homeless woman, was candid about the benefits of living on the streets in Portland, Oregon.  The city's outdoor drug policy has led to more tents on the streets, she said

Portland homeless woman says being on the streets is a ‘piece of cake’

A homeless woman on the streets of Portland has bragged about the benefits of living on the streets, including free meals and the ability to be stoned all day.

Wendy, a homeless woman, delved into the city’s homelessness crisis as she explained how almost open-air drug policies are bringing more tents to the streets.

Portland currently has more than 700 homeless encampments across the city in less than 150 square miles, and the ordeal has also led to the skyrocketing use of cocaine, heroin, LCD and methamphetamine that authorities decriminalized in 2020.

“It really is a piece of cake that’s why you probably have so many here, really because they feed you three meals a day and don’t have to bullshit but stay in your tent and party “, Wendy told Kevin Dahlgren with community engagement organization We love Seattle.

To which Dahlgren replied, “I appreciate honesty, I don’t feel like that really helps anyone.”

“It’s not, that’s why you see all the tents – people are up all night and sleeping all day,” Wendy said.

Wendy, a homeless woman, was candid about the benefits of living on the streets in Portland, Oregon. The city’s outdoor drug policy has led to more tents on the streets, she said

Wendy is a hairdresser who has been living on the streets for months. She is officially from Florida and became homeless when she divorced her husband.

She said someone stole her dentures about six months ago and couldn’t return to work.

“They do that here,” Wendy said. “I can’t get new ones because I’m just going to pay for the first one, so I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“I can’t go to work without teeth.”

It’s unclear where Wendy eats her meals each day, but there are several homeless organizations in Portland that serve the community.

Some outreach services provide clothing and food while others provide behavioral health services, transitional housing, and addictions help.

Portland decriminalized small amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin in 2020

Portland decriminalized small amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin in 2020

Some of the city's most charming, trendy and expensive neighborhoods in the Pacific Northwest are now overrun with tent cities that clutter residential sidewalks

Some of the city’s most charming, trendy and expensive neighborhoods in the Pacific Northwest are now overrun with tent cities that clutter residential sidewalks

A few days later, Dahlgren returned to Wendy’s tent and told her that her story had inspired others to fundraise to buy her new dentures.

“I used to be like everyone else, I had a really good job … I had a salon in Washington State, I drove a Lexus and a house — and I loved doing my hair,” he said. she declared.

Wendy’s video saga posted by Dahlgren on Twitter led her brother and ex-husband to track her down. They are now reconnecting.

“You found my sister,” John Mitchell wrote in a Tweet to Dahgren. ‘Thank you Kevin for posting this. We knew she was homeless and probably in Portland, but that’s about it. Thanks for being nice to her.

Dahlgren (left) then returned to Wendy's tent and told her that her story had inspired others to fundraise to buy her new dentures.

Dahlgren (left) then returned to Wendy’s tent and told her that her story had inspired others to fundraise to buy her new dentures.

Wendy's video saga posted by Dahlgren on Twitter led her brother and ex-husband to track her down

Wendy’s video saga posted by Dahlgren on Twitter led her brother and ex-husband to track her down

Portland currently has more than 700 homeless encampments across the city

Portland currently has more than 700 homeless encampments across the city

Residents of Democratic-run Portland said in November that escalating crime and homelessness were affecting their way of life and their safety.

Some of the city’s most charming, trendy and expensive neighborhoods in the Pacific Northwest are now overrun by tent cities cluttered with residential sidewalks and littered with trash – and the problem is scaring locals and tourists alike.

In 2019, the city had just over 2,000 homeless people.

Three years later, that number has increased by 50%, now to more than 3,000 people living on the streets.

The increase in homelessness has also led to an increase in crime in the city.

Portland set a murder record in 2021. It reported 90 homicides – breaking the previous record of 66.

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