Bend officials outline shelters, temporary safe-stay area and funding for houseless services

Amy Franley, the city of Bend’s senior program manager for Houselessness Solutions, told the Business Development Advisory Board that Central Oregon counted 1,811 people experiencing houselessness in 2024 and that Bend’s total was about 959, a decrease compared with prior counts.

The city has about 537 shelter beds available as of the presentation; 226 of those are designated as low-barrier beds, Franley said. “Low barrier doesn’t mean no rules,” Franley said, describing low-barrier shelters as sites where people can bring pets, enter with family members and are not screened for sobriety or for some background issues before admission.

Franley reviewed recent city-led purchases of shelter properties and partnerships. The city used ARPA and other local funds to acquire the Stepping Stone Shelter (formerly Bend Value Inn) for $2,970,000; that building provides 56 beds, she said. The Navigation Center, a converted thrift-store site operated by Shepherd’s House, provides 100 low-barrier beds and is the only walk-up shelter in Bend where someone who loses housing “tonight” can request a bed, Franley said. Central Oregon Villages operates about 20 tiny-home units on Bear Creek; those units use porta-potties and a shower truck rather than indoor plumbing.

Franley said the city does not run shelters directly but acts as property owner and contract administrator while nonprofit partners operate day-to-day shelter and services. NeighborImpact convenes case conferencing and Shepherd’s House and other nonprofits run shelter operations, she said. The city has also funded safe-parking sites and tiny-home clusters operated by REACH and Central Oregon Villages.

Juniper Ridge temporary safe-stay area and funding

Franley described a temporary safe-stay area (TSSA) in the Juniper Ridge area that includes some mix of city and county land and abuts Bureau of Land Management property. The city’s funding for the TSSA is time-limited; Franley said the city must fully expend the dollars by Dec. 31, 2026. The TSSA has service providers on site for case management, veterinary care and basic vehicle repair; Franley identified Mosaic and HomerNow among partners providing services and said NeighborImpact coordinates transitions into permanent housing. Eleven people had transitioned out of the TSSA in the program’s first months, she said.

Franley said that because of state and federal shifts in homelessness financing the city has been changing its role; she identified Policy Option Package 501 linked to House Bill 3644 as pending legislation that would establish a statewide shelter financing approach, shifting some funding relationships and letting providers work more directly with funders. Franley called this “Policy Option Package 501, which is funding that's tied to House Bill 3,644.”

Utilization and transparency

Franley addressed public perceptions that shelter beds are empty. She said shelters the city supports averaged about 98% utilization since January of the year of the presentation and pointed the public to an online dashboard where occupancy, client counts and transitions to permanent housing are posted. She also described a city houseless services grant program that pools state, county and city funds to support shelter and navigation services.

Questions from board members focused on how the TSSA operates, who provides security and how transitions to housing are tracked; Franley said the city and county provide security checks two to four times a day and that compliance staff, sheriff’s office personnel and the nonprofit providers together enforce TSSA rules such as fire and animal restrictions.

The presentation ended with Franley offering to take questions and provide further clarification to board members on specific program details.