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Committee hears debate over managed camp funding and 20 First Street homelessness investments
Summary
Budget presenters described ongoing funding for managed-camp services, 20 First Street construction support and related partnerships with the county; one council member voiced strong reservations about continuing the funding without a clear exit strategy.
Community development and city administration staff summarized funding in the draft budget for homelessness responses, including managed-camp operations and capital support toward 20 First Street and related Eastside campus projects.
Deputy City Manager Ed (presenter identified in discussion) explained the $2.50 measure funds being discussed are part of a package that supports multiple Eastside campus efforts (including Oasis, Jericho Road, a Mountain View transitional housing project and the managed camp). He said 20 First Street construction is expected to begin around mid-June and that the county is participating with regional partners; the county's contribution was cited as $400,000 toward the managed-camp effort.
Councilor (name from transcript) expressed concerns about the managed-camp funding and said he had “real difficulty” continuing to spend that money without a clear “end game,” asking what happens to residents who must leave the site and where they would go. The speaker said that, absent a clear exit plan, the city risks repeating encampment problems elsewhere.
Staff described the managed camp as a tool to provide an alternative to unsanctioned camping near businesses (noting specific business corridors such as Seventeenth Street), to facilitate exchanges with Deschutes County and to enable expansion at the fairgrounds. Staff also said they are exploring revenue recapture and reimbursements from state funding for some of the outreach and cleanup costs; the transcript notes some reimbursement of contracted cleanups and outreach coordinator time this year, citing roughly $161,000 of reimbursement for the current fiscal year.
No formal action to expand or reduce managed-camp funding was recorded at the meeting; committee members asked questions and requested additional information about program outcomes and exit strategies.
Staff said the budget carries the anticipated expenses but that some reimbursements are not assumed as guaranteed for next year pending state funding decisions.
