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Residents and advocates urge coordinated response after Simpson Park evictions
Summary
Speakers who have provided long‑term outreach to residents at Simpson Park described recent red‑tagging and evictions, urged more coordinated services and shelter options, and asked the city to prioritize humane transitions for people living in the park.
During public comment, community members described outreach and service efforts at Simpson Park and appealed to council for coordinated, humane responses to recent evictions.
Jennifer Ro and Lori Gisler said they have provided ongoing outreach, food and prayer to people living at Simpson Park for about 18 months and reported recent ‘‘red‑tag’’ notices and inconsistent eviction timelines for people who consider the park their home. They said some residents are survivors of domestic violence and others are displaced by fires or other crises, and that the city lacks a domestic‑violence shelter and other services they need.
Council and staff clarified jurisdictional and enforcement roles: Simpson Park land sits largely in Millersburg rather than Albany city limits, and Linn County Sheriff’s Office made outreach visits and some arrests for outstanding warrants during the most recent enforcement. Staff said the city and regional partners (including outreach teams and shelter providers) are coordinating to offer resources and case‑management referrals and will follow up.
Ending: Councilors asked staff to continue coordinated outreach and to provide a status update; staff confirmed further communications with Linn County, outreach partners and shelter providers were underway.
