Because of the broad community interest in housing and houselessness, the City Council added a standing agenda item to Council business meetings to provide regular updates on City Council’s work on addressing houselessness. 

We have so much progress to announce on our various efforts to serve our community.  

First, I’m excited to announce we’re voting on the Navigation Center contract tonight.

Councilors will consider a three-year agreement with Shepherd’s House Ministries to develop and operate a Navigation Center at the City-owned Second Street Shelter.

The Navigation Center represents an innovative and responsive approach to the challenges facing our community. In simple terms, it is a service center for our houseless.  Our houseless community will be able to access things like case management, assistance with benefits, meals, job skills development and housing support. Daytime services will not compromise existing overnight shelter beds but will augment services and will create an opportunity for coordinated services.

The first phase of the agreement includes program development and planning, including community outreach.

Second, we have a new Safe Parking site. It will allow up to two vehicles to use the overnight camping program on private property. This is in addition to two existing sites.

The Safe Parking Program enable property owners or lessees in Bend to allow limited overnight parking for people experiencing homelessness. They provide additional shelter options for individuals and families without access to permanent, safe shelter, and who are not able to obtain other low-income housing. These programs are intended to be used on a seasonal, emergency or transitional basis.

The Safe Parking Program still needs additional sites, please visit the city’s website www.bendoregon.gov/houselessness for more information.

Earlier this week, following a coordinated effort, the City removed 38 camps from the area around Second Street and Greeley Avenue. We are storing personal property, and that can be arranged for pick up by contacting the Public Works Department within the next 30 days.  

In February, City Manager Eric King designated Second Street as an unsafe campsite after Bend Police completed an assessment reviewing safety conditions, environmental impacts, and a variety of other concerns.

Between February 16, when the designation was made, and March 14, when clean-up and closure efforts began, staff and service providers met three times, the City gave service providers two-weeks notice so they could help the campers on the site before the area was closed, staff posted notice to vacate with campers on the site, and, per our policy, gave a final 72-hour notice to move last week.

The City collaborates with service providers to coordinate and ensure support for our houseless community members. Over the course of the past year, City staff has built relationships with local, nonprofit service providers, including: Deschutes County Homeless Outreach, Shepherd’s House, REACH, Central Oregon Veterans Outreach, The Helpers, Central Oregon Villages, J Bar J, Family Kitchen, and Mosaic Medical. Numerous meetings have centered on extreme weather-related emergencies, closures of unsafe campsites, needed resources and coordination of service delivery. 

Staff from these organizations, plus local mutual aid volunteers, have been engaged with and providing resources for community members camping in the Second Street area over the past months. They increased their engagement efforts once the City officially deemed the area an unsafe campsite and scheduled it for closure. 

Due to the providers’ tremendous efforts and dedicated time over the past two weeks, within an hour or so of the hard closure, everyone staying in the area was safely vacated.

Crews then began their work storing personal items and discarding clearly identifiable debris and trash. The nonprofits provided wheeled wagons, tents, heating units, car/RV repairs and gas, and a long list of specific items necessary for individuals’ health and safety. 

A special thanks to each of those groups and providers who helped over the past week, including this past weekend.  This unsanctioned camp clearing, although necessary for safety and for the affected businesses, is not a solution. Council goals state that we will help create 500 shelter beds. We have made so much progress in the past year and we will continue to work tirelessly with our service provider community and seek out support and partnerships from the community at large in order to make this a reality.

Other progress you might be interested in following:

The City Council will consider proposed development code changes to provide options for various types of shelters to be built in most zoning districts in Bend. Shelters can provide a bridge for houseless community members until they can get into more stable or permanent housing. The proposed shelter code amendments have moved past the Planning Commission and are coming next to the Council. If you want to learn more, tune into our work session on April 6. We’ll get an update and continue to plan our upcoming schedule of public meetings. Watch www.bendoregon.gov/councilagenda for meeting information as that date approaches.

And finally, the bill providing $1 million for a joint office addressing homelessness passed the state Legislature. In terms of next steps, there is a Joint City/County meeting scheduled for April 8 to finalize the strategic plan and discuss an inter-governmental agreement that would define the Collaborative Office.

As always, thank you to our service providers and community volunteers. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” You are doing so much for our city.

-Megan Perkins