On a sunny morning in Portland’s South Park Blocks, Lobo sat patiently on a bench while his girlfriend prepared herself in one of the city’s few public restrooms. Having lived without a home for 35 years, Lobo and his girlfriend planned to spend the day panhandling. According to Lobo, it was a promising day for it.

“My girlfriend looks great today, so people might give us some money,” he explained, hoping they’d gather enough to stave off withdrawal symptoms from fentanyl. For Lobo, getting through the day only required around ten dollars.

As Lobo spoke, preschoolers played nearby, and his girlfriend emerged from the restroom, her dark brown dreadlocks swaying and her tie-dyed dress catching the light. She was drinking a pint of melted ice cream, ready to start the day alongside Lobo.

At that same moment, just a few blocks away in Old Town, city and county officials were celebrating the opening of a new center designed to support outreach workers aiming to assist people like Lobo.

“This is about redemption for Portland. We are in a phase of recovery,” proclaimed Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Since December, a new initiative has enabled Portland police to connect street outreach workers with individuals interested in addiction treatment.

“This collaboration between providers and police, and the growth of this program, is one of the most significant steps we’ve taken,” said Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson.

In the past seven months, this partnership has reached out to over 270 individuals, with 230 accepting help and 140 receiving immediate assistance. The program is expanding further, establishing a base at the corner of Northwest 6th Avenue and Glisan Street with additional outreach workers.

“I don’t have lived experience in addiction, so I’m not the best person for this job. My role is law enforcement, but those facing addiction need culturally competent people who can offer immediate, personal help,” explained David Baer from the Portland Police Bureau.

John Karp-Evans, with the Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon, added, “The belief that people don’t want help is a myth. Many are willing if they know where to find it.”

However, there are still individuals like Lobo who resist assistance. “I enjoy living out here,” Lobo said. “I like my freedom and not having to conform to societal norms, like paying taxes. It might sound odd, but that’s my choice.”

“Not everyone is ready to accept help every day, but when they are, we need to be ready for them,” Mayor Wheeler emphasized.

This expansion of the partnership between service providers and police officers comes just weeks before Multnomah County launches its deflection center in Portland’s Central Eastside. This facility will offer people caught with hard drugs the choice of treatment over jail time, coinciding with the reinstatement of criminal penalties for simple drug possession in September.