It keeps on happening. The houseless are displaced in Deschutes County and there is no good place for them to go.
On any given night perhaps some shelter beds may be open somewhere. But some shelters don’t take just anyone. And the fact is there are not enough beds, enough options or enough treatment.
Doing something about people who are houseless is stitched together with hope. It is betrayed by lack of money, inaction, prejudices, that not everyone wants help and more.
Watching the Deschutes County Commission work session Monday was like getting a dose of all that at once.
Commissioners talked about setting up a county program for safe parking for the houseless. They talked about crafting a letter to the governor to get permission to set up sites for the houseless outside of urban growth boundaries. And they moved forward on setting up a first for the county: a county-managed camp. It would be on about an acre of what is Oregon Department of Transportation land near the Les Schwab Tire Center store at the south end of Bend.
No solution does everything. This one would only have room for 30 spots. There could be more. In this design, there would be room for emergency access, access for a medical van and other supports. Central Oregon Villages may operate it. A lot of the details are yet to be worked out — costs, security and so on. Commissioner Patti Adair emphasized the need for security.
It might, though, be a model of what the county will do in several spaces. And that’s needed.
There is a deadline coming. March 16. That’s when, as of now, the houseless living in the Hunnell Road area have been told they must be gone because of planned road construction. There might be 50-100 people who will be displaced. Even if this county project is done swiftly it won’t be ready by March 16 and it wouldn’t provide a location for all of the displaced people.
Commissioner Phil Chang pushed Monday for a two to three month delay on the March 16 date. Bend City Manager Eric King was at the meeting and supportive of that idea. Chris Doty, director of the Deschutes County Road Department, said there was flexibility in the March 16 date from the county’s perspective.
Commissioner Tony DeBone did not seem interested in a delay. He wasn’t sure a push for a delay should come from the county.
“Would you like to see Hunnell cleared before this (county) site is on the ground?” Chang asked him.
“If a large truck has to drive down the middle of Hunnell Road I want it to be as safe as possible,” DeBone replied.
We get DeBone’s point about safety. But if it’s possible to take a delay long enough to get this county site up and running and put off the large truck driving down the middle of Hunnell Road, isn’t it worth it? This is a time where we can stitch together more hope.
(6) comments
Thank you Bend Bulletin editorial board. Commissioner Chang is staking out a courageous, but lonely, position. Will there be support coming for him from other elected officials. Commissioner DeBone misrepresents the construction scenario. County Director of Public Works Doty has publicly stated that the Hunnell community for now will not interfere with planned construction projects in the area. We can postpone the sweep until provisions can be made for the safe relocation and continuum of care for those on Hunnell. Cutting off their connections to services, care, and companionship will not do anyone any good.
Glad to see the wheels turning and the council and commission working together on this.
Tony Debone is out of touch with voters across the sepectrum...a lack of compassion on homelessness, supporting the development of farmland and open space, and jeopardizing our water system for future generations.
52% of Deschutes County voters disagree with you.
Who needs increased agricultural production? Instead, give us perpetual junkie camps scattered about, that's the true virtual signal of "compassion".
Wait, you argue for more Ag production in this high desert? Why is that?
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