Hello Pearl District,
Here’s my October update on how NWCC is working to improve livability, safety, and overall conditions throughout the Pearl District.
Please reach out if you have any questions about anything in this post or would like more information about NWCC.
Thanks,
Chase McPherson
Executive Director, Northwest Community Conservancy (NWCC)
chase@nwccpdx.org
Humanitarian Outreach Update
Our humanitarian team continues to make strides in connecting individuals with longer-term support and services. We are seeing some changes in the types of assistance available as shelter resources and agency capacity shift.
Portland Street Response (PSR) contacts have remained steady, with 10 reports this month. Longer-term shelter referrals are down due to program cutbacks, while emergency shelter referrals have increased.
One additional observation from Terrance is that more tents appear to be getting distributed by agencies and churches. We have seen more of these tents popping up around the Pearl this month. Our team continues to engage individuals, offer resources, and report tent locations to the City.
Read more about our work on the NWCC News: Stories on the Streets
Brendan of the Humanitarian Outreach Team and Jose of Echelon-NWCC’s team-out front of NWCC member Fields Bar Grill.
October 2026 Outreach Highlights
Our team recorded 747 total outreach and service-related activities during October.
Direct Outreach & Basic Needs
144 resource connections
64 water distributions
42 meals served
1 detox referral
2 shelter applications or referrals
16 emergency/day shelter-related activities
1 Radio Cab-related activity
Street Outreach & Engagement
66 drug-use/loitering relocation contacts
12 self-relocation contacts
121 tent-related contacts with individuals experiencing homelessness
203 contacts where services were declined
Neighborhood Reporting & Coordination
43 Portland-area camp reports
6 trash reports
3 graffiti reports
1 PBOT RV/vehicle report
10 Portland Street Response contacts
4 Park Ranger contacts
8 hotline contacts
1 follow-up service contact
End-of-month tent count: 8
These numbers represent activities and contacts, not necessarily unique individuals. Many of the interactions involve ongoing engagement and multiple touchpoints.
Shelter Closures & Changing Neighborhood Conditions
The Northrup Shelter and the Navigation Center have both been closed for just over a month.
One change we have noticed is that, without the morning push-out of individuals from the shelters, there are fewer issues occurring in the early morning hours. However, the overall shift has not been as dramatic as we had hoped.
During sunny daytime hours, we continue to see more people loitering throughout the district, particularly around the parks. As temperatures drop at night, more people are finding places to stay warm and sheltered. We have also seen tents popping up more frequently, but our team is consistently engaging individuals and reporting locations to the City for removal.
One positive change is that the City is now removing all reported tents rather than ranking them based on priority, as it had done previously. This has helped create a more consistent response to reported tent locations.
Portland Police Bureau Update
This month, I had the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with PPB Daytime Shift Lieutenant Todd Tackett. Todd is a great leader who previously served as the Central Precinct Night Shift Lieutenant and has now moved into the daytime leadership role.
During our conversation, I reiterated the need for additional attention and support around the Safeway and CVS areas. The bottle deposit locations and cash exchanged for cans continue to draw activity and negative attention to these areas.
PPB is continuing to conduct walking beats throughout the district as staffing and schedules allow. As we approach the holiday season, they are also planning retail-focused enforcement operations throughout downtown to provide additional support to our retailers.
Portland Fire Department Update – Warming Fires
Portland Fire & Rescue is changing its protocols for warming fires this year. Under the new approach, all reported or observed warming fires will be extinguished.
Please call 911 for any fire you see, and Portland Fire & Rescue will respond.
This change is being made for everyone's safety. Warming fires have resulted in significant damage to businesses and homes in the past, and the department is taking a more proactive approach to prevent another serious incident.
Chase and the PBOT Team
PBOT Street Cleaning
This past week, I was able to coordinate with PBOT to bring additional street cleaning into the Pearl. A big thank-you to PBOT for going curb to curb and getting our streets as clean as possible!
While PBOT does provide some overnight cleaning in the Pearl from time to time, the challenge is that without temporary barricades and vehicles being moved, the middle of the street gets cleaned but the curbs often do not. This can create ongoing issues with debris buildup and street drainage.
If you are experiencing an issue with a drain or drainage pipe, there is another PBOT team that handles those concerns. Please reach out to me, and I would be happy to connect you with the appropriate contact.
Kort Clayton of Integrated Avian Solutions with one of the Harris’s Hawk used for the Crow Abatement Program
Crow Abatement Program Is Back!
Speaking of keeping the Pearl clean, our Crow Abatement Program is back in action!
The team is already touring the district, assessing crow populations and identifying where the birds are gathering and traveling.
Last year, we were fortunate to receive donations from several HOAs, private community members, and local businesses. Those contributions allowed us to run a very successful program, and we are hoping to build on that success this year.
As with last year, the program relies on donations because it benefits many properties throughout the district, including those that are not NWCC members.
Please consider talking with your HOA, neighbors, and fellow business owners about contributing to the program. The goal is humane displacement that helps keep the Pearl cleaner while also protecting the crows. Large congregations can result in significant property damage, including birds pulling at insulation and wiring for nesting materials, particularly as natural nesting habitat becomes harder to find.
Thank you in advance for considering a donation!
Check our Crow Abatement page on the NWCC website for photos of last year’s program, updates and information
Remembering Judie Dunken
A sad but very special thank-you to Judie Dunken.
As a founding member of NWCC and a longtime PDNA Board and committee member, Judie consistently put the Pearl District community first. Her dedication, commitment, and contributions to our neighborhood will be remembered and greatly missed.
We are grateful for everything she gave to this community.
Thank You
Thank you for your continued support of NWCC and our efforts to improve livability, safety, and compassionate care throughout the Pearl District.
Our work would not be possible without the continued support of our members, community partners, and neighbors. We appreciate your commitment to making the Pearl a better place to live, work, and visit.
