Physically disabled homeless in Bend feel overlooked with lack of resources

'I’m not looking for a handout. I'm looking for a little help'

(Update: Adding videos, comments from disabled homeless)

BEND, Ore., (KTVZ) -- It's not uncommon for some people to argue that homelessness is a choice - and for some, it is. But that's not always the case.

One subgroup of the homeless population are physically disabled individuals who face roadblocks that impede on doing simple tasks and being able to live on their own.

Without caretakers to aid those experiencing physical challenges that make everyday responsibilities even more challenging, some of the disabled homeless in Bend feel like they're at a crossroads.

Lisa Chartier is homeless and has congestive heart failure. She has been on an oxygen tank four times.

“I hadn’t in a million years, you know, wanted to stay here," Chartier said Thursday. "I thought that I was just going to get treated and be able to move on. But now, I’m kind of stuck."

She lost her home in the Holiday Farm Fire last year, along Highway 126, and recuperating has been a process for her.

Chartier has been staying at Bend's year-round shelter on Northeast Second Street, operated by Shepherd's House Ministries, since July.

A shelter serves its purpose, in terms of providing the comfort of food and and a bed, but the disabled homeless are requesting other resources to help them move on with their lives.

As far as regular tasks, Chartier said things like going to the bathroom and putting on pants are taxing. This is her first week in a wheelchair, since the pain of walking has become too much for her to endure.

Clarence Morrow has also been staying at the shelter, since July.

“I'm not able to get into the shower trucks," Morrow said. "I have to pay for a motel or wheelchair facility to go take a shower. It's hard to get out of bed, it takes time to get dressed. It’s hard to move around outside in the snow.”

Morrow said he has worked various jobs in Bend since he moved here in 1985, including 7-Eleven on Franklin Avenue. He said his life took a drastic turn in July, prompting him to go to the shelter.

“I had a stroke on my right side- brain bleed. It affected my whole left side," Morrow said.

Both shelter residents said they believe there are not enough people advocating to help the homeless with disabilities. They suggest the possibility of a facility intended exclusively for disabled homeless people and caregivers.

“I’m not looking for a handout. I'm looking for a little help," Morrow remarked.

He also brought up a need to help those who are suffering from mental disabilities as well.

But first, he suggested, people need to understand that not everybody's situation is alike.

"It's important to distinguish how people become homeless, because it's not always for the same reason," Morrow said.