Lane County approves one-year contract with Equitable Social Solutions for navigation center amid neighborhood safety concerns

Lane County commissioners on July 22 approved a one-year contract with Equitable Social Solutions (ESS) to operate the county—s navigation center, voting 5-0 to adopt Order 25070810 after extended public comment from residents and business owners who said the facility harms neighborhood safety and children.

The contract approval followed more than an hour of public testimony from River Road, Santa Clara and North Eugene residents who said the navigation center—s current site is too close to school bus stops and walking routes and described visible drug use, property damage and threats to children—s safety. Rich Lock, founder of the Eugene Business Alliance, said the site is "in the wrong spot" and cited what he described as a roughly $53,000-per-bed annual cost when comparing the contract figure he cited to the expected number of beds. Rayla Campbell told commissioners she feared "a child to prick their finger on a needle" near the site.

Why it matters: the navigation center is a low-barrier, short-term program intended to connect people experiencing homelessness with treatment, case management and housing. Neighbors said the program—s…