City and county officials are closing off portions of an area known as Juniper Ridge where many unhoused residents find shelter, hoping to direct people to housing and supportive services.
Authorities in Oregon are, for the second time in two months, moving to clear a major encampment populated by unhoused residents, reports Clayton Franke in The Bulletin. “At a meeting in September, when the Bend City Council and Deschutes County Commission jointly approved the plans to phase out camping at Juniper Ridge, officials estimated about 200 people were living in the area, with 70-80 camps west of the railroad tracks and fewer than 20 in the closure area to the east.”
The effort to relocate people living in the area known as Juniper Ridge by Deschutes County and Bend city officials comes shortly after federal forest officials forcibly removed people living in the Deschutes National Forest.
Officials are enacting a plan to connect people with housing and services by the end of 2026. But for now, the encampment dubbed “Dirt World” will likely become more crowded after authorities close off large portions of the area. People will be moved to a 170-acre designated “temporary safe stay area.”
Because the safe stay area provides services and because authorities are cracking down on unauthorized encampments, “The new safe stay area has quickly become the only place in Deschutes County where people without shelter are allowed to live.”
FULL STORY: Crowding into ‘Dirt World’: Bend Homeless camp swells as closures displace more people
Feds Clear Homeless Encampment in Oregon Forest
The action displaced over 100 people living on national forest land near Bend, Oregon.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
Opinion: DC Encampment Sweeps Hide, but Don’t Solve, Homelessness
President Trump recently ordered the clearing of encampments built by unhoused people on federal land in Washington, D.C.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Four Reasons Urban Planners Can’t Ignore AI
It’s no longer a question of whether AI will shape planning, but how. That how is up to us.
Bend, Deschutes County Move to Restrict Major Homeless Encampment
City and county officials are closing off portions of an area known as Juniper Ridge where many unhoused residents find shelter, hoping to direct people to housing and supportive services.
High Housing Costs Driving Down Transit Ridership in LA
When neighborhoods gentrify and displace lower-income residents, transit ridership suffers, new research shows.
Iowa Legalizes Accessory Dwelling Units
A new law will allow property owners to build ADUs on single-family lots starting on July 1.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada