BEND, OR -- Bend City Councilors have approved $45,300 for phase one of a temporary outdoor shelter near 27th and Bear Creek. Former Bend Police Chief Jim Porter is now with Central Oregon Villages - the group working to lease the property and manage the camp, which would primarily serve women and children. He told Councilors at this week's meeting, "There’s a lot of fear out there; and it’s justified fear. The neighbors are talking about drug use, people using - if you will - the street for bathrooms. Crime and graffiti, specifically graffiti in that area by people who are living in unmanaged camps. It’s true; in unmanaged camp situations, these things do exist. And our proposal is to turn that around and have managed camps."

After hearing from numerous neighbors during the public comment period, Porter told Council, "We’re proposing a solution to unmanaged camps and the lawlessness which occurs around them. We’re also proposing we move this to the private/public sector, because police and fire shouldn’t be doing this. I mean, they’ve got more important jobs. We can introduce another layer of safety by starting to manage these camps, changing people’s behavior and ensuring they have a safe, sound place to sleep and not have to build campfires, which can turn into wildfires."

The proposed temporary outdoor shelter would include up to 20 small structures alongside the existing Desert Streams Church. Because it's private property, Porter says managers would be allowed to remove unwanted campers, unlike on public land. Under state law, this type of shelter must be approved if it meets certain requirements. The funding granted by Council comes from the city's American Rescue Plan allocation and helps cover the expense of Phase One, which includes outreach and feasibility work. Operating the shelter comes in Phase Two, which is not yet approved.

Porter told Council the camp wants to be a good neighbor, "Maybe it’s a little superficial, but I think it’s really important how it looks. This is a rare opportunity we’re given to establish the first one of Bend, and we want it to look nice. We want it to look like it fits in the neighborhood. We don’t want trash around; we don’t want gatherings of bicycles. Every unit’s going to have its own storage locker. We just have to get this right, and that means keeping it cleaned, picked up and livable so the neighbors don’t drive by and say ‘look at the eyesore in our neighborhood’."

Desert Streams Church issued a statement Thursday, saying it is working on a lease agreement with Central Oregon Villages. "We consider it a great honor to live in Bend and to be a part of the community that does more than just talk about problems. We are looking for real solutions to the issues we face. The program offered by Central Oregon Villages is something we support," Pastor Daniel Burgess said in the statement. The church is considering leasing about 1.3 acres to Central Oregon VIllages for the program, along with providing volunteer support. The church notes it's been part of the Bend community for 35 years.