A month into job, area’s first houseless strategies director ‘hit the ground running’ on challenging crisis

(Update: Adding video, comments from Purrington)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- It's been a month since Cheyenne Purrington stepped into a newly created coordination role on a hot-button issue -- homelessness. It's a challenging and controversial topic, and there's no guide for tackling the difficult challenges so many communities across the country face.

I asked Purrington what her typical day entails in the position of assisting efforts by Deschutes County and its three cities.

"I don't know if I've had a typical day so far since starting," she said Thursday. "I hit the ground running."

The latest statistics show there are nearly 1,300 homeless adults and children in Deschutes County, which is a 17% jump over last year.

She says she has been spending a lot of time at encampments, including Hunnell Road and Second Street, as well as meeting with the city councilors and touring affordable housing locations.

"It's really important for me to understand the context of both the general community, but also work that's happening to our unhoused neighbors," she said.

Purrington said some people may decline a shelter bed because they might have already been in that shelter, have disabilities and can't go up on the top bunk, or don't like how loud shelters can be.

"Everyone deserves their own space -- their own home," she said. "That is truly an emergency shelter. Even though it's a good option, it might not be the best option for everyone."

A key goal is to expand the number of types of shelters offered and ensure they're a path toward long-term housing.

"Some of the key changes that we'll be looking to make are really related to using our existing resources more effectively and working more in tandem together -- identifying the appropriate roles and responsibilities for all the players involved," she said.

She added that more people need more access to behavioral health support, including mental health care, access to medication, transportation and a phone.

"There's a lot of resources that I think we have and we can apply in different ways to be able to meet the needs for folks, trying to navigate through the very complex system of being homelessness to hopefully being housed," Purrington said.

She previously worked as executive director of the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless, purchasing motels and converting them into supportive housing. She says it created about 70 units.

Here's Purrington's response to some follow-up questions.

"Regarding encampment sweeps, the Office recommends that all public agencies adopt a comprehensive Encampment Resolution Plan that emphasizes the critical care needs of residents living in unsheltered settings. A strong plan should include proactive street outreach efforts, robust access to medical and behavioral health services, and quick connections to permanent housing. Camp closures are not a long-term solution and are often traumatic and destabilizing for residents of established sites. The City has indicated that they are working to identify locations for safe parking and emergency shelters, and investments in the production of affordable housing.

"Regarding camping codes, the Office recommends that local public entities: 1) separate code enforcement functions from social service roles; 2) focus on enforcement of ‘nuisance behaviors’ rather than survival sheltering activities; and 3) limit the overall size of encampments to prevent the issues we’ve seen at large encampments, such as 2nd St. and Hunnel Rd. Camping codes are just one tool available to communities, and City leaders and staff have shown strong commitment to applying a proactive and compassionate approach to this complex issue.

"The current City Council has made significant efforts to expand services and shelter options, and connect individuals in crisis to those resources. Our Office looks forward to supporting that progress, in conjunction with the County and local nonprofit service providers."

Here's the rest of the original announcement

Purrington, who began work Sept. 19, leads the newly created Coordinated Houseless Response Office. The office will streamline the work of dozens of local organizations serving our regional houseless population, as well as enable a community-wide approach to addressing houselessness under a shared set of principles, priorities and strategies, the announcement said. 

The County-Cities Coordinated Houseless Response Office has a Governing Board of Directors made up of one representative from the Board of County Commissioners and one representative from each city council. 

“We are pleased to hire someone with Cheyenne’s expertise and track record to serve as the Houseless Strategies and Solutions Director,” said Patti Adair, County Commissioner and Chair of the Governing Board of Directors.

Andrea Blum, Sisters City Councilor and Governing Board of Director, noted, “Out of four excellent candidates, Cheyenne stood out with her experience working to resolve barriers facing people who are houseless.”

“We look forward to the continued collaboration with the County and our other three cities and are very fortunate to bring to our region someone with Cheyenne’s vast experience and passion for this complex issue,” commented Bend City Councilor and Governing Board Vice-Chair Megan Perkins.

Colleen Scott, La Pine City Councilor and Governing Board Director remarked, “Cheyenne’s passion, dedication and personal approach to moving people into housing was evident throughout the interview process. Her hands-on experience related to the very complex issue of homelessness is going to make such a difference in Deschutes County.”

“I look forward to having someone with Cheyenne’s experience provide important leadership as we work to find solutions on homelessness,” stated Redmond Mayor and Governing Board Director George Endicott.

Deschutes County and the Cities of Bend, La Pine, Sisters and Redmond are recipients of House Bill 4123, which will provide $1 million in funding over two years to operationalize coordinated offices to strengthen our communities’ houseless response.

Purrington recently served as the Executive Director of the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless and has provided strategic consulting for numerous homeless-serving nonprofits and public agencies in California. She has nearly two decades of experience supporting diverse teams and collaborating with community stakeholders to address homelessness.

“I’m honored to join the excellent team already working hard to end houselessness in Deschutes County,” said Purrington. “Our goal with the Coordinated Office isn’t to add more layers of bureaucracy, it’s to quickly evolve our entire ecosystem of care - to make it more efficient and more effective. In the short term, we’ll stay focused on implementing proven solutions based on data. At the same time, we’re planning ahead for more affordable housing and robust services to help prevent and end houselessness.”

“We have a unique opportunity to move our response efforts in the right direction and end the trauma of houselessness for our most vulnerable neighbors,” Purrington said. “Houselessness is a complex topic, but its solutions are quite simple. We know what works, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Requests for community speaking engagements with the Coordinated Houseless Response Office can be arranged by emailing houselessoffice@deschutescounty.gov.