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Residents urge Roseburg council to visit privately run, managed homeless camps they say are clean and accountable
Summary
Two residents told the council they visited privately run managed camps and urged council members to meet the organizer and see the camps, describing them as clean, orderly and run with resident responsibilities (reportedly three hours of work per day).
During audience participation at the council meeting referenced on Dec. 20, 2024, two residents urged city leaders to examine privately run, managed homeless camps operating in the area.
John (first name only) told the council he and his partner had visited camps in Ward 3 and encouraged council members to meet a local organizer, Bernie Woodard, saying the organizer "has the vision for this that will actually work" and that council members should invite him to present to the council.
Pam Berman described visiting a camp she said was "clean" and "orderly," noting residents recycled and maintained the site. She said camp managers require residents to work three hours a day to participate and that the site she visited limited occupancy to about 10 tents at a time. "I was really pleased with that... I mean, I'm amazed," Berman said, adding that some residents appeared well cared for and that a resident had a support dog named Finnegan.
Both speakers asked councilors to visit the camps to see how they function in contrast to illegal camping along Deer Creek and other locations. The council thanked the speakers; no formal policy action or vote on city-managed camps occurred at the meeting.
The remarks came during the meeting's public comment period and represent residents' perspectives; no formal staff recommendation or council decision to adopt any new camp policy was made during the session.
