BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang wants state lawmakers to revise a bill that’s aimed at streamlining the approval process for homeless shelters.

“Essentially asking them for flexibility to be able to site an outdoor shelter outside of Urban Growth Boundaries in resource lands, such as EFU zoned lands,” says Chang noting as written, the bill would allow homeless shelters outside an Urban Growth Boundary only if the land is zoned as Rural Residential. The commissioner says that’s standing in the way of converting a parcel known as the Gales Property, a half a mile east of Bend, near Ward and Hamby roads,  “The Gales family owns nine acres nestled in between two churches, and all of those parties are supportive of doing some kind of an outdoor shelter-type facility there. And the only challenge is that it’s Exclusive Farm Use zoned, so we’re not authorized to site that in that location.”

He says House District 53 Representative Emerson Levy has expressed interest in amending the bill, which remains in committee, and it’s unclear whether it will be amended before a vote, “My hope is that the letter we sent to all of our legislators who cover Deschutes County will actually have an impact, and they will work to include provisions in that bill that would allow a siting of outdoor shelters on resource zoned lands, EFU zoned lands, within a mile of an Urban Growth Boundary.”

Cheyenne Purrington, head of the Coordinated Houseless Response Office, supports the revision, “It would create a lot of local flexibility and opportunities, not just for shelter siting, but also development of affordable housing in smaller unit sizes, which is really effective for housing chronically homeless individuals.”