Bend councilors OK motel purchase for homeless shelter, but state grant is key

'It's a great opportunity for Bend, as well as a lot of residents that are really struggling'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A 64-unit hotel on Southeast Third Street in Bend may soon be a shelter for the homeless.

On Wednesday night, the Bend City Council unanimously approved the purchase of the Old Mill Inn and Suites.

The property would be used as a transitional housing center for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Bend. 

But the city first has to inspect the property, get their land use and change of use applications approved and receive the requested state grant of $5 million to close the sale. 

The grant is through Project Turnkey and overseen by the Oregon Community Foundation.

The city of Bend hopes to have everything completed by June.

St. Vincent de Paul, an organization that provides social services to Bend residents, is a next-door neighbor.

Executive Director Jordan Reheer works with the homeless community constantly and supports the project. 

“It's a great opportunity for Bend, as well as a lot of residents that are really struggling," Reheer said Thursday.

“With housing in Bend as it is, we see people every day who are in really desperate need for housing. Their best option is a tent or a few tarps strung up on a juniper tree.”

The $5 million would come from the state’s Project Turnkey.

Carolyn Eagan, Bend’s economic development director, said the money will help renovate and maintain the building, at least for the first year. 

“So I think from a neighborhood or even a nearby business perspective, they would see improvements,” she said.

Eagan said she is not concerned that a homeless transitional shelter would attract more homelessness. 

“What we know from the Point in Time count from last year is that 70 percent, 75 percent of the individuals experiencing homelessness in Central Oregon are Central Oregonians,” Eagan said.

“They are not people who became homeless in Portland and moved to Bend, or people who became homeless in Sacramento and decided to come up to Bend.” 

Eagan emphasized that this facility is a potential solution to a much larger problem in the Bend community. 

“In many cases, they are individuals who are working, or they are parents with children, or unfortunately in many cases, we have unaccompanied youth who are homeless,” she said.