With Deschutes County back on board, Bend city councilors OK Juniper Ridge homeless Temporary Safe Stay Area plans
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Nearly a week after Deschutes County commissioners got back on board, the Bend City Council held a special meeting Tuesday afternoon and unanimously approved a joint resolution to authorize the creation of a Temporary Safe Stay Area for overnight vehicle camping and to provide for improved safety, sanitation and case management on city and county-owned land at Juniper Ridge.
The joint resolution directs city and county staff to work collaboratively to coordinate rules for land management and enforcement to manage camping within the Temporary Safe Stay Area. Juniper Ridge area is being managed collaboratively with Deschutes County.
The concept behind the joint resolution was agreed to at a joint meeting on Sept. 5. The two bodies approved a plan to establish an area where campers could temporarily remain, with direction to staff to coordinate legal and siting issues, a communications and outreach plan, and scoping of on-site services including housing-focused case management with a focus on safety.
The two bodies also agreed to allocate funds to provide case management services and operation in the Temporary Safe Stay Area.
City and county staff will bring back an agreement between the City and County for the allocation of additional American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to jointly fund housing-focused case management services. Staff will also work collaboratively to develop rules and guidelines for the temporary overnight camping to increase safety for campers and the greater community.
"The City of Bend is committed to working with Deschutes County to move forward with creating the Temporary Safe Stay Area,” said Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler. “This work is vital for protecting our entire community by implementing fire mitigation efforts and providing a path to more permanent housing for those who are experiencing houseless. This resolution is just the first step in creating a safer community for all.”
The Temporary Safe Stay Area will initially allow certain overnight camping activities on about 40 acres of land where people are currently staying with plans to reduce the acres impacted by camping within the Temporary Safe Stay Area to about 20 acres in 2026.
With the creation of the Temporary Safe Stay Area, the city intends to close the portion of the city’s Juniper Ridge property outside city limits and east of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks to camping and remove all people currently camping there by May 31, 2025, and continue fuels reduction and waste clean-up.
The Temporary Safe Stay Area is intended to close no later than Dec. 31, 2026, which is the time that the American Rescue Plan Act funds anticipated to fund this effort must be spent.
