Bend prepares to move homeless campers off Juniper Ridge
(Update: Clarifying, total site 1,500 acres, 500 inside Bend UGB)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The city has long had a vision of developing the 1,500-acre Juniper Ridge area at Bend's north end, meeting with a mix of success and challenges. But with a big sewer project on the way this year and dozens of homeless camps on the site, many people soon will have to leave a place they've called home, some for years.
NewsChannel 21 toured the site Tuesday with a Bend police officer, a city staff member and Mayor Sally Russell, and also spoke to several of the people who live there.
An undetermined number of people have lived there, many for years, but with the new sewer line set to go through Juniper Ridge for more development opportunities in the area, officials say it won't be safe for them to stay.
Also, a variety of issues have arisen in recent years, such as fires that can be difficult for crews to access in the mostly undeveloped area. (About one-third of the 1,500 acres is within Bend's current urban growth boundary.)
No-camping signs have gone up and a gate (still open, for now) has been installed, the latest signs of changes underway and more to come.
The city has said it plans to give the homeless 60 days notice of when they have to leave, far beyond the state requirement of 24 hours, while working on ways to help them make the move.
But the city is taking a cautious approach, working with partner agencies and trying to build connections, helping facilitate the campers' move out of the area.
Patsy, who has been living on Juniper Ridge for the past few years, said Bend is facing a housing crisis, and it needs to be solved.
“I’m talking about homeless people that need shelter, they can’t afford to buy houses here!" Patsy said. "In the last 10 years, the cost of buying a house in this town has gone up $200,000! That’s ridiculous.”
Jaime Gomez-Beltran, the city's property manager, and police Officer Kecia Weaver are working to build connections and help facilitate their move off the Juniper Ridge land.
Weaver said, "I try to look at it that every individual out here has a story, a different need, and to speak with them about what their particular situation is, and any assistance that can be provided, we'll try to make happen."
Gomez-Beltran said, "We also appreciate the opportunity that they have given us over the past six months to connect with them and have those open conversations. And it gives us to ability to understand how can we be mindful of their needs, and how can we minimize the impact to them and their families."
Russell said the Juniper Ridge situation is about treating everyone as individuals and hearing their stories, to help them in any way possible during a period of transition.
"It's difficult -- I mean, we need to take care of everyone who is living in our community," Russell said. "So not only the people who live in northeast Bend who are going to this area who experience problems, but the people who are living here because they have no other place to live."
