Hundreds in Brookings‑Harbor weigh competing solutions to homelessness; county schedules Feb. 4 workshop

Hundreds of residents, service providers and state and county officials filled a Brookings‑Harbor meeting to debate how Curry County should respond to a rising number of people living without housing, the trash and safety problems that followed, and what to do next. County leaders said they would collect comments and convene a workshop on February 4 to pursue concrete steps.

The town hall, convened by Curry County leaders and moderated by Commissioner Lynn Coker, centered on two often competing themes: residents demanding more law‑enforcement presence and code enforcement, and housing and outreach providers urging a continuum of care that includes shelter, case management and permanent affordable housing.

"The rules of the road then are particularly important in that kind of mix of personalities," Commissioner Lynn Coker said as she opened the forum and set ground rules for speakers. Service‑provider and advocacy speakers described models that county officials and residents said they wanted to consider further.

Father Bernie Lindley of Saint Timothy's Episcopal Church proposed a Rogue Retreat–style managed campground — a working name he called "Checo Retreat" — on what he described as about 12 acres currently zoned agricultural. "We very much care about the well‑being of people who are unhoused," Father Lindley said, and he urged commissioners to consider rezoning land and supporting a site that would offer restrooms, electricity and transitional supports.

Advocates from the North Bend/Coos Curry housing authority and the Salvation Army said the most successful programs they had seen used a stepwise continuum: street outreach, managed campgrounds or congregate shelters, pallet shelters or tiny houses, and then permanent housing with case management. Matthew Borderstrasse, who described current projects including "105 units" under development in Coos and 19 units in Gold Beach, urged collaborative, incremental development rather than relying solely on enforcement.

"We are currently building a 105 units up in Coos," Borderstrasse said, describing the scale of related housing efforts and saying incremental models allow people to stabilize and then move into longer‑term housing.

Service‑provider speakers and people with lived experience said case management, hygiene and disposal options, and outreach are key to reducing health hazards and getting people to services. A Salvation Army outreach director described daily street outreach that trades clothing and hygiene kits in exchange for connection to services, and a volunteer cleanup program, 1 Bag at a Time, described a local model for handing out bags and gloves and coordinating trash removal.

By contrast, many residents called for more immediate enforcement and more deputies. Multiple speakers asked, "Where's the sheriff?" and urged additional deputies, code enforcement officers or annexation to Brookings (which would change policing coverage). James Paul, a resident, said he believed expanded services attract more people and argued for citations and daily law‑enforcement interaction: "The more free stuff you give out, the more homeless you're gonna attract," he said.

County and state agencies present described resource limits. Derek Evel of the Oregon Department of Transportation said ODOT has no dedicated fund for illegal camping cleanup on the state highway system and that any money spent on cleanup is money not available for road maintenance. Lieutenant Byron Sweeney of the Oregon State Police and Lieutenant John Esley from the County Sheriff's Office said they were there to listen and to take part in follow‑up planning.

Officials acknowledged the tension between limited law‑enforcement capacity and the need for services. Several residents urged the county to dedicate more budget to the sheriff's office or create a single community‑service liaison to coordinate responses across agencies. Others urged a pilot trash‑mitigation effort that would distribute sharps containers and arrange targeted dump days to reduce public‑health risk while longer‑term housing is developed.

County leaders closed by thanking attendees and pledging to use the town‑hall record to shape a workshop and working group. "We're shooting for February 4," a county official said in closing, asking community members to submit additional ideas by email or comment card and promising follow‑up on specific proposals and budget questions.

What happens next: county officials said they will compile the public comments, assemble agency and community partners for a Feb. 4 workshop, and pursue short‑term pilot projects (trash mitigation, volunteer coordination) while designing longer‑term housing and shelter options. The town hall produced a range of concrete proposals — from rezoning land for a managed site to expanding code enforcement — that county leaders said they will prioritize at the workshop.