City of Bend and Deschutes County fleshing out plans for Juniper Ridge homeless ‘Temporary Safe Stay Area’

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Deschutes County commissioners will hold a public hearing next Wednesday and consider alternative draft resolutions to assist with land management and a planned "Temporary Safe Stay Area" on city- and county-owned land at Juniper Ridge on the north end of Bend. City councilors also will take up the matter that evening.

The county meeting will include a 1 p.m. public hearing as the board considers the draft resolutions. Members of the public are invited to testify in person or virtually. Testimony will be limited to three minutes per person.  The meeting agenda and virtual log-in information can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings.

Bend city councilors take up the city resolution Wednesday evening (Item 10 on their agenda), and an issue summary posted to their agenda (see below_ includes an expected cost of $1.5 million for more Safe Parking capacity and case management services, along with $1 million through 2026 for other aspects of security, sanitation and cleanup,

As background, during a Sept. 4 joint meeting between the board and the Bend City Council, the governing boards agreed to establish a “Temporary Safe Stay Area” and work collaboratively to mitigate the public health and other issues resulting from unsanctioned camping in the area.

City staff drafted Resolution No. 2024-046. Commissioner Phil Chang asked county staff to draft an alternative resolution, Resolution No. 2024-049, that focuses on providing case management services to individuals living in the “Temporary Safe Stay Area.” 

Key elements of Resolution No. 2024-046:

• 170 acres of property owned by the City and County northeast of the City of Bend will be designated as the “Temporary Safe Stay Area” or “TSSA” (see attached map).
• The TSSA will not be available to homeless individuals not living in vehicles.
• The TSSA is not intended to be a place for people not currently camping or sheltering on lands at Juniper Ridge.
• The County and City plan to provide the following services at the TSSA: portable toilets, handwashing stations, drinking water, and trash disposal facilities.
• The County and City plan to fund housing-focused case management services at the TSSA.
• The County and City will use land management strategies to provide a framework for rules of conduct, including property clean-up efforts and periodic security patrols. 
• The County and City will coordinate on fire fuel reduction and other fire reduction strategies.
• The City will close its property east of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks by May 31, 2025.
• The TSSA is intended to close no later than December 31, 2026.

Key elements of Resolution No. 2024-049:

• The County and City plan to provide the following services at the 170-acre property owned by the City and County: portable toilets, handwashing stations, drinking water, and trash disposal facilities.
• The County and City plan to fund housing-focused case management services.
• The County and City will use land management strategies to provide a framework for rules of conduct, including property clean-up efforts and periodic security patrols. 
• The County and City will coordinate on fire fuel reduction and other fire reduction strategies.
• The City will close its property east of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks by May 31, 2025.