The self-appointed “sheriff” who screened homeless people to determine who could live on his street in Portland, Oregon, has now apparently died at the hands of one of those he tried so hard to help.
His name was Kenny Housman.
Around 12:30 a.m. Monday, Housman reportedly was trying to referee an argument between two homeless people when suddenly one of them apparently stabbed Housman in the throat.
‘He does not have the authority to monitor the public street bordering his property.’
Housman was raced to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. He was 73.
Reports indicate that two other homeless campers apprehended a person described as a “suspect” in Housman’s fatal stabbing and held that person down until police arrived. However, that individual later was released from custody without being charged. The person was said to be “cooperating” in the investigation.
Blaze News reached out to detectives assigned to the case to see if the apprehended individual was ever considered a suspect, and Portland Police public information manager Mike Benner issued Blaze News the following statement:
At this point there is not enough evidence to charge the detained individual with a crime, and that explains the release from custody. The individual is cooperating with authorities, and the investigation is ongoing. We have nothing further to add.
Last September, KATU-TV featured a story on Housman, who owned the block that stretched the length of Clinton Street. Housman had dubbed himself “Sheriff of Clinton Street” and permitted homeless residents to set up camp along the street so long as they passed his inspection.
“You don’t want those kinda people that steal catalytic converters and gas,” he told the outlet at the time. “You don’t want them on your street. If there are those kinda people, then you have to take steps to get them out.”
Though RVs and tents lined his street, Housman banned loud generators and late-night parties. He also provided some homeless residents with electricity.
By all accounts, Housman — a Vietnam veteran — adamantly believed he could help at least some people. “They gotta live someplace. … The good ones have to live someplace,” he said. “The others? They can’t live here.”
Neighbors complained about violent crime spikes in the area, and data supports their concerns. KATU independently verified that the neighborhood had an “above average number of assaults, stolen cars and weapons violations,” though those numbers could not necessarily be directly tied to the homeless encampments.
The Street Services Coordination Center for the City of Portland also was frustrated with Housman’s autonomous zone. “Mr. Houseman [sic] has been known to contact city workers and attempt to enable people to stay on the block, though he does not have the authority to monitor the public street bordering his property,” a 2023 statement from the agency read in part.
Housman seemed to believe his naysayers overgeneralized about homeless people and perhaps had overlooked their good qualities. “They just see a motorhome. They think, ‘Oh no, homeless, crime, drugs …’ They don’t see Tim, who I think works, I’m not sure, but he won’t steal from them or anything else. They don’t see, I don’t know Jim very well; old man Steve, living on Social Security, needs a place to stay,” he explained.
He also denied that his approved campers engaged in behaviors often associated with homelessness. “You don’t find any car thieves here,” he told KATU. “You don’t find people laying around doing drugs … You shouldn’t find any needles; all of the trash is in one place for [waste removal] to pick up.”
Now, at least one of the Clinton Street campers is mourning the loss of Housman. “He did things to try and help them out,” Michael Zamora, who lives in an RV, recalled.
“He didn’t have to die.”
(H/T: The Post Millennial)
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Homeless, Homeless camp, Homeless encampment, Portland, Oregon, Crime
