Deschutes County commissioners react to update on Juniper Ridge remediation effort, plans for the future

'I don't think we turned the corner on this yet.'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) --  A staff update presented to commissioners last week shows Deschutes County continues to have challenges in the county-owned part of the homeless camping area known as "Dirt World."

Commissioner Phil Chang said Monday the stats belie some misconceptions -- for example, about who makes up the area's homeless, that most are from out of the area and drawn here for services.

There's people who are talking about 'homeless tourism,' right now in our community," he said. "It's really important for people to understand that the majority of people who are unsheltered homeless here in Deschutes county became homeless here."

The county has been offering some support services, while it works to site and establish a managed campsite.

The first year's remediation plan allocated $200,000 in funding after a code enforcement complaint was filed citing health and safety issues.

Commissioner Tony DeBone voiced this reaction Monday: "The problem seems to keep growing, also. I don't think we turned the corner on this yet. We need to work through this as a community."

The county funding is being used to provide drinking water and portable toilets, along with cleanup of tires and dozens of abandoned camps.

Security patrols are also part of the plan -- initially the area was patrolled twice a day, now it's been reduced to once a day.

County services are supplemented by the work of outside volunteers.

Bend Equity Group co-founder Eric Garrity said, "The pandemic was a profoundly isolating experience, and so continuing that type of mutual aid organizing since then for myself, and I think speaking for a lot of our volunteers, we found it to be a very community building experience."

The Bend Equity Project, a self-funded organization, has about 15 volunteers who used to go to Hunnell and Clausen before those camping areas were removed by the city.

 Now, they're providing weekly meals at Juniper Ridge.

Garrity said, "While we're providing water and some trash collection services and some restrooms, we really need to go further and commit to housing first."

   County staff recommended the commissioners continue using county or federal funds for  basic services at dirt world into next year. At the same time, the county is working to find a site for a managed campsite.