ODOT evicts homeless campers by Bend Parkway as safety move before winter arrives

(Update: Adding comments from homeless camper, ODOT spokesman)

'They hear us but they’re not listening,' a homeless camper said.

BEND, Ore (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Department of Transportation is evicting homeless campers and clearing out all personal belongings from an area off the Bend Parkway at Colorado Avenue and plans to take the same action in a couple of days at the campsite by the Revere Avenue exit.

ODOT recently gave 10-day notice to the homeless campers, informing them of the cleanup and advising property still on the site would be removed.

They also informed campers there will be a 'no camping' policy on the ODOT properties, accompanied by 'No Trespassing' signs.

“As we get into winter weather, we’ll be clearing the highway,” ODOT Region 4 Public Information Officer Peter Murphy said Monday.

As winter arrives, he said, “There’ll be cinders, there’ll be gravel, there’ll be snow that can all get thrown down into this area, so we want to make sure people everywhere are safe.”

He estimated the cleanup will take two days.

“There’s one tent that has, I don't know, 50 bikes, or parts of bikes. You know, that takes a while to actually remove and place someplace,” Murphy said.

Several people were gathering their items and placing them into trash bags. One woman said she and her husband have been homeless for two years and it’s been a struggle to find a job.

“We stopped finding work, because nobody wants to take the both of us -- no one,” Grant said.

Aside from pressures in finding employment, Grant said survival is an all-around struggle.

“We woke up to fire. Someone burned out tent down,” Grant said.

After moving to Bend from South Carolina, Grant said it was frustrating trying to access resources, with some agencies sending her on a wild goose chase.

“They hear us, but they’re not listening,” Grant said. “These are people who had homes, had jobs, had family, kids. They ended up like this.”

Grant and her husband don’t know where to go next, but she says they’ll figure it out.

“Bend Oregon, Central Oregon needs to do better,” Grant remarked.

Murphy says the homeless campers will have 30 days to retrieve the belongings they leave behind from ODOT after the eviction, as social service agencies seek to help them find safer places.

He adds that the whole ordeal has become a big problem, from a fire safety hazard, to camps becoming more permanent, and it's important they take measures to reduce the danger.