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Two laws have been ratified by the City of Eugene and Lane County that address Overnight <br />Sleeping: Ordinance No. 20097 and Ordinance No. 20255. <br />Ordinance No. 20097 (11 -17 -1997) This law allows vehicle sleeping within an Industrial District <br />for 24 hours. It has the effect of isolating the Homeless citizen from others living in the <br />neighborhoods while taking away Homeless civil liberties in the process, in short trading off <br />some civil liberties for the right to sleep and where. However, that was not good enough for <br />Eugene special interest groups who owned businesses in the area. <br />Ordinance No. 20255 (6 -10 -2002) Takes more liberties away from the Homeless, only allowing <br />overnight sleeping in a religious institution, in a back yard of a single family residence or a <br />vacant unoccupied parcel of land with permission by the property owner who will receive no rent <br />or fee and is required to provide for sanitation and garbage services at the owners expense. That <br />expense of which will discourage most property owners from offering the Homeless a place to <br />sleep. <br />Vehicle parking on public streets, is not illegal with good tags and within a time limit of 24 hours. <br />Yet, when someone is found sleeping in that parked vehicle it turns into <br />"Illegal Camping" a violation of law. However, I fail to see the harmfulness of this act, plus with <br />this law, I see a double standard. others doing the every same thing are seemingly exempt from <br />this law. Commercial truck drivers can park and sleep along Oregon highways and on city streets <br />without any fear of violation. weary drivers pull -over and take naps when they become too tired <br />for safe driving and we rightly encourage this. Sleeping in vehicles is tolerated in city and county <br />parks and rest areas of which is clearly posted "No Camping ". Home dwellers complain loudly <br />when it .comes to the Homeless presents, they say their concerned about public safety, sanitation, <br />littering, and loss of property values or "the slumming effect" on their neighborhood. If so, <br />where are their objections when they invite friends and visiting relatives to park their RVs on the <br />public street in front of their homes? Shouldn't that be considered Illegal Camping also? If it is <br />illegal to sleep in a vehicle overnight, then it must be illegal to sleep in a vehicle at anytime, day <br />or night, or it discriminates against the Homeless for they are the only people most impacted by <br />the ban. All this seem legally inconsistent and unfair to me. 'Homeless civil liberties are certainly <br />being violated. <br />Another issue that I've got personal knowledge is: Personal Security while Sleeping overnight: <br />Harassment of Homeless people is on the rise. whether in a vehicle or not, greater protection is <br />needed to discourage noise harassment, threats and attacks. Home dwellers have laws to protect <br />them from threats and annoyances overnight, so should the Homeless have the same protections. <br />Law Enforcement Issues. <br />The Public Safety Department assigns a low priority to illegal car camping calls for it is <br />considered a non - violent public nuisance call. Police will not cite a vehicle sleeper without a <br />complaint and only if the person refuses to move --on. Many police find it frustrating.,to enforce <br />the overnight sleeping ordinance because vehicle sleepers just move to another street potentially <br />