City updates Juniper Ridge safe-stay area plan as council weighs phased closure and extended services

City officials gave an informational update on the temporary safe stay area (TSSA) at Juniper Ridge and outlined a proposed phased closure plan that staff said would begin in March 2026 and aim for property-wide closure on or before Dec. 31, 2026. Staff asked the council to approve additional limited-term staffing and signaled the likelihood of further cleanup and closure costs beyond current budgets.

The update, presented by Matt Stewart, real estate and facilities director, and Amy Fraley, senior program manager for houseless services, described operations launched after the site was established and a surge of residents following the China Hat closure. Stewart said the city and county adopted joint resolutions and expanded hygiene stations, security patrols and case management. He told council the TSSA covers about 170 acres and that about 194 unique individuals — “more than 90%” of the population there — have accessed housing-focused case management since March.

Why it matters: Council members and service providers said Juniper Ridge has allowed outreach teams to build stable relationships with people who are camping, resulting in housing exits and quicker responses to health and fire risks. At the same time, speakers and staff warned that sweeping or a rapid closure could leave people with no place to go and could scatter high-need residents across the region, potentially worsening public-safety outcomes.

Key details and staff proposals: Stewart said the city has spent roughly $500,000 on land-management costs to date, and crews have removed about 800,000 pounds of trash from Juniper Ridge and the TSSA. The joint resolution the city and Deschutes County adopted earlier set a year-two goal to reduce the occupied area by 50% and directed full closure by Dec. 31, 2026; staff now proposed a phased approach that would issue 60–90 day notices by phase and seek a full closure earlier than December when practicable. Stewart asked council to authorize two additional limited-term employees for the city’s health-and-safety coordination team and to note that closure and cleanup will likely require additional funds beyond the roughly $1 million budgeted overall (about $500,000 remaining, staff said).

Service-provider perspective: Stacy Witte, executive director of Reach, described outreach outcomes and challenges in person and in writing. Witte and other providers said the onsite case-management model has enabled strong rapport-building, quicker access to health care and documented housing transitions — including exits to shelter and permanent housing. They also said trash, improvised structures, and vehicle legality were persistent problems that require coordinated enforcement, disposal and casework.

Public comment and advocates: Multiple public commentators asked council to pause or postpone closure until replacement housing or supportive options are in place. Chuck Hemingway, a homeless advocate who performs outreach to the TSSA, urged the council to consider long-term visitor-area models (LTVA) and to meet with providers before pursuing evictions; online commenters who said they had been displaced at other sites warned that sweeping people disperses risk and can be deadly. Outreach workers Eric Garrity and Mandy Bryant reported that sweeps historically have not produced sustained housing outcomes and recommended more time and coordination.

Council direction: Council members expressed concern about both public safety and the well being of people living in the TSSA. Several members urged caution about an immediate citywide sweep and supported a phased approach that prioritized closing the parcels with the canal access first (identified by staff as sections 1 and 2) to limit access problems near COID infrastructure. Council asked staff to (a) bring specific cost estimates and population-demographic data to the upcoming joint council–board meeting with Deschutes County, (b) plan enhanced staffing levels for enforcement and storage coordination during phased closures, and (c) seek county agreement on options to extend portions of the TSSA temporarily if that will improve exits to housing and preserve continuity of care. No formal policy vote or change to the joint resolution was approved at the meeting; the item was an informational update and council asked staff to carry the discussion to the Sept. 29 joint meeting with the county.

What remains open: Staff highlighted that shelter beds and noncongregate housing remain limited in the region; they said higher exit rates depend on available shelter and low-barrier housing options. Council requested an updated dashboard and breakdown of how many TSSA residents have completed vulnerability assessments (the “VI-SPDAT”/coordinated-entry assessments), how many have been referred to which housing programs, and estimated per-person transition costs for various housing models.

Ending note: Council members praised outreach teams and providers for building trust and securing moves to housing but reiterated that a long-term solution will require county, state and federal partners as well as local funding choices and time to build capacity.