Problem Solvers: Camp closures climb as concerns grow over where people go next

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Standing along Highway 97 on Revere Avenue, the changes are hard to miss. Where tents once stood off and on for years, there are large boulders and thick gravel, part of a strategy critics call “hostile architecture,” designed to keep people from camping there.

The goal is simple: prevent encampments from returning. But the bigger question remains: where do people go next?

“Moving Day” Comes Again

The Problem Solvers caught up with one couple, Dave and Dawn, during the sweep of their latest camp on Colorado Avenue in Bend.

The couple has spent the last seven years living on the streets in Central Oregon. Dawn has lost an eye. Dave continues to battle addiction, "They’re trying to make sure there is no place for us to go,” Dave said. “They want us to go to the shelter, which is not much help.”

Each sweep means starting over again. “Every time that you get swept, you basically put everything in here, is that it?” I asked.

“Yeah. Two carts… sometimes just a couple loads,” Dave replied.

They understand rules are necessary. But they say constant displacement and physical barriers meant to prevent camping aren’t solving the problem.

A Cycle of Displacement

Advocates say what’s happening in Bend mirrors a broader trend across the West: move people along, but don’t solve homelessness.

Eric Garrity with the Bend Equity Project has spent years working directly with people experiencing homelessness, helping connect them with food and services.

“We’re a mutual aid organization that provides meals and other services to community members in Central Oregon who are experiencing homelessness,” Garrity said .

He says the issue has only grown since the pandemic, driven in part by rising costs of living.

“Every year shows… double-digit percentage increases in homelessness,” he said. “And until we have a paradigm shift, I’m afraid that trend is just going to keep on continuing.”

While camps may be less visible in some areas, Garrity says that doesn’t mean the problem is shrinking. “Out of sight, but that should not be out of mind,” he said. “The problem is perpetuating.”

The Cost of Clearing Camps

According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, about $43,000 was spent on camp closures across Central Oregon last year.

That number may sound high, but it’s significantly lower than previous years. From 2023 to 2024, cleanup costs in Bend alone reached roughly $440,000.

Still, Garrity argues the approach is ineffective and expensive in other ways. “Sweeps are expensive. They result in more hospitalizations. They result in more overdose deaths,” he said. “It’s a failure of a policy… a waste of taxpayer money.”

He describes the approach as disruptive and destabilizing. “It’s a really traumatizing experience for people to be continually displaced,” Garrity said. “There’s no stability.”

Working for Some, But At What Cost?

Some nearby businesses, who spoke off camera, say they are seeing fewer camps and fewer issues in their immediate neighborhoods.

But the question lingers: are people actually finding housing, or simply being pushed farther out of sight? “They’re trying to push everybody to the outskirts of the city,” Dawn said.

Large pieces of gravel and massive boulders prevent people from pitching tents, an increasingly popular tactic used by agencies. Homeless advocates call it hostile architecture.

Dave points to one area in particular, known as “Dirt World.”

“If you go out to Dirt World right now, there’s a thousand people out there,” he said.

Dirt World at Juniper Ridge: A Managed Camp, But Temporary

What Dave calls “Dirt World” is part of a larger, officially designated site known as the Temporary Safe Stay Area at Juniper Ridge, about 170 acres of land jointly managed by Deschutes County and the City of Bend.

The site was created to bring some structure to one of Central Oregon’s largest homeless encampments, offering basic services like drinking water, trash removal, handwashing stations, portable toilets and increased security.

It’s also meant to connect people with case management and housing resources, an attempt to move people toward more stable living situations.

But it’s not permanent. The site is considered a temporary solution and is currently scheduled to close in December 2026.

And even now, pressure is building. Previous closures of nearby camping areas have pushed more people into Juniper Ridge, with hundreds relocating there as other sites shut down.

Redmond Sweeps and What Comes Next

A similar story is unfolding in Redmond, where homeless camps, especially in the Desert Rise and east Redmond areas, have been targeted for cleanup and closure.

County officials estimate around 150 people have been living on county land in that area, and sweeps are expected to push many of them into what’s known as a temporary “green zone,” where camping is allowed for now.

Images of the partially managed homeless camp at Juniper Ridge, better known as Dirt World.

But even that space may evolve. County leaders have discussed turning that area into a future managed homeless camp similar to the Juniper Ridge model.

At the same time, planning is underway for a smaller, managed site in Redmond that would house a limited number of people, far fewer than the hundreds currently living unsheltered.

So while new camps may offer structure and services, the scale of the problem remains much larger than the solutions currently on the table.

The Bigger Picture

From boulders along the highway to repeated camp sweeps, the strategy may be changing how homelessness looks in Bend, but not necessarily reducing it.

“There’s a huge spectrum when it comes to homelessness,” Garrity said, pointing to people living in cars, couch surfing, or fleeing unsafe situations.

Without long-term solutions, like more shelter space or permanent housing, he says the cycle will continue.

“People are just being shuffled around,” Garrity said. “It’s dehumanizing… but that’s the reality.”

The Problem Solvers have done other extensive reporting on homeless camps and the clash between addiction, enforcement, and compassion.