Deschutes County commissioners are weighing a plan to remove homeless people from city- and county-owned land north of Bend that could cost the county as much as $300,000.
The plan emerged after the county cited a 50-acre plot of land it owns for violations of health and safety standards in March. Now, that code violation has permeated neighboring city-owned land, teeing up the potential for a mass sweep of up to 200 homeless people.
It would be one of the largest homeless encampment sweeps in the region in years.
Juniper Ridge is colloquially called dirt world, because it is characterized by dry, dusty conditions, winding dirt roads and sheer isolation from the city. It spans about 1,500 acres along U.S. Highway 97. Some estimate homeless people have been living there for more than a decade.
People living near the property where the county was found to be in violation of its own code have used a nearby canal for drinking water, bathing and washing laundry, according to documents obtained by The Bulletin. But there are also excessive amounts of feces in the area and the county is concerned about the potential transmission of bacteria or parasites.
That land abuts more than 630 acres of city-owned land, which is outside of city limits and therefore subject to county rules.
The city received a nearly identical code violation from the county at the end of May. Ultimately, officials said, its land north of the city will also be swept of homeless people.
“We’re just like any other property owner that receives a notice,” said Matt Stuart, the city of Bend’s real estate director.
FUTURE OF JUNIPER RIDGE COMMUNITY IN LIMBO
While there are numerous health concerns on city and county property in Juniper Ridge, behavioral health and mental wellness is also big concerns.
Often, people living outside while homeless have relationships with one another and with service providers that create a sense of safety and stability, said Janice Garceau, the director of health services for the county. With the plans to sweep Juniper Ridge, they may lose that.
“Regardless of how people feel about encampments, the reality is the folks who are living there do live in a community,” Garceau said. “They do have relationships of care and trust with each other, not just with us. They check in on each other, help each other.”
The impact of removals like the one at Juniper Ridge isn’t just losing a service provider or access to services. It’s also losing a neighborhood, Garceau said. It can give way to an increase in mental health symptoms and heightened stress from having to move on short notice, she said. For many living on Juniper Ridge, who work, the impending removal will also likely impact their jobs.
“It literally can affect their ability to get to work every day,” Garceau said.
However, another impact could be a positive one, she said. It could mean accessing a homeless shelter or housing, given that is available.
The county has a policy in place for addressing homeless encampments. However, the plan for Juniper Ridge wasn’t created in accordance with that policy, county documents show. The policy was intended “to address problem encampments on a much smaller scale with focus on the removal of personal property, not individuals themselves,” the plans said.
Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone previously told The Bulletin he believed removing people from Juniper Ridge might make the county vulnerable to legal challenges under a federal appeals court ruling known as Martin v. Boise.
Martin v. Boise, a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, made it illegal for governments to punish people sleeping outside on public property if inadequate shelter beds are available or when people have no option but to live outside.
“We’ll probably end up in the courts for the rest of time here pretty soon,” DeBone told The Bulletin in a June 1 interview. “That’s kind of the reality of this situation. Either the state court for land use or the federal court for homeless issues or our local Catch-22 with code enforcement. That’s the conundrum no matter which way we go — we can’t go backwards probably. It’s just wild right now.”
Once people and their belongings are removed from the county’s land, the county intends to secure it to deter people from returning, according to its plans.
The county could utilize locked gates, concrete jersey barriers to block vehicle access from the highway and a private security patrol, according to draft plans.
The concrete barriers and gates could cost around $35,000 combined.
“It seems like a more affordable option than trying to fence the entire property,” said Kristie Bollinger, the county’s property manager.
Permanent fencing around the entire property could cost up to $756,000, the plans said.
People living on county land on Juniper Ridge haven’t yet been told they will likely have to move, said Erik Kropp, county administrator. Direction from the County Commission could kick-start that notification after their Wednesday morning meeting, which includes the potential sweep on the agenda.
— Anna Kaminski, The Bulletin; 541-633-2160; akaminski@bendbulletin.com
