The compassionate invisibilization of homelessness: where revanchist and supportive city policies meet
Résumé
In this article, I analyze ongoing changes in the field of homelessness governance in Portland, Oregon (USA) to understand the underlying rationale behind current shifts toward a so-called compassionate approach to homelessness. Based on fieldwork carried out in Portland, this paper analyses the increased inclusion of outreach practices in the management of homelessness in both policing and city policies. To gain an understanding of how policies are implemented on the ground, I focus on the management of homeless encampments. This paper then outlines how this rise in homelessness outreach practices is closely related to encampment cleanups and the invisibilization of homeless people through a “compassionate eviction” from public space.
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