In a joint meeting on Jan. 20, leaders from Deschutes County and the City of Bend agreed to extend the date of permanently closing the Temporary Safe Stay Area to June 30, 2027. That’s 170 acres in the Juniper Ridge area east of Highway 97, north of Bend, comprised of 50 acres of county land and 120 acres of city land.
In 2024, county and city officials agreed to jointly manage the TSSA for dispersed campers. Both government agencies oversee the area for safety issues, wildfire risks, sanitation and hygiene services. The entire area was scheduled to close on Dec. 31 of this year, but leaders extended that deadline by six months to allow more time to assist people in relocating or transitioning out of homelessness.
As of Jan. 9, 192 campers at 150 campsites were sited inside the TSSA. Since July, staff monitoring the area have issued 49 notices to campers who are violating rules and regulations. Since September, 10 notices have been issued evicting campers due to non-compliance with rules, typically for trash or building unsafe structures.
The City and County share expenses to manage the area through an intergovernmental agreement. In fiscal year 2025, half a million dollars was spent on water, portable toilets, dumpsters, security, trash and miscellaneous items such as fire gates. So far in the first six months of fiscal year 2026 which began in July, $336,414 has been spent on those items. The largest expense has been general trash and cleanup costs for a total of $685,505 over the past 18 months. The cost to extend the closure by six months is estimated to cost an additional $550,000 for hygiene, security, case management and trash services. That does not include final cleanup costs associated with the full closure.
Two areas at the northern and eastern portions of the TSSA, known as sections one and two, will close in June of this year as planned. That will reduce the camping area from 170 acres to approximately 75 acres. People living in those sections will receive 60-day, 30-day and 72-hour notices to leave starting at the end of March. They will be allowed to relocate to the areas west of the canal, known as sections three and four, which will still remain open until June 2027.
Seven nonprofits have been working with campers at the TSSA to assist them with more permanent housing. Grants totaling more than $1.2 million are funding those services. The City of Bend has a dashboard for TSSA case management, which is updated monthly. It shows 309 campers have been assisted, with a total of 35 campers leaving the site.
Part of the conversation during the joint meeting centered on options for the remaining campers. For those willing to move into shelters or transitional housing options, space is limited. The Navigation Center, a low-barrier shelter on SE Second Street with 100 beds, was 99% full in 2025. The Franklin Avenue Shelter, which has 70 beds, was 101% at capacity last year, while other local shelters were 88% full in 2025.
In addition to shelters, other options for the homeless include the Safe Parking Program which allows businesses, nonprofits, public entities and religious organizations in Bend to provide a safe place for people experiencing houselessness to camp in vehicles or temporary structures. That program expanded in 2025 from 13 to 41 spaces and the City expects to add one more location this year with up to six additional parking spots. Staff also expect an additional eight beds at Abi’s House, a high-barrier shelter for women operated through the Shepherd’s House. And Redmond is expected to gain 35 campsites with a new managed camp east of the city near the airport scheduled to open in March. That camp will be managed by Redmond and Deschutes County but is expected to aid the homeless population currently living in Redmond.
One challenge facing the City and County is how to pay for future housing solutions. Money from the American Rescue Plan Act expires on Dec. 31. City and County officials say state funding falls short of the need locally. If state funding remains the same, the City estimates a gap of $1.7 million for the Lighthouse Navigation Center, the Safe Parking programs and Central Oregon Villages shelter in the second half of 2027.
During the joint meeting, County Commissioner Tony DeBone expressed concern about extending the permanent closure deadline by six months. “If we do extend this six months, where are we going to be at? You know, what’s the vision? It’s going to be, ‘Well, we kinda got about 60 or 70% of this done.’” He is worried about future funding coming out of the County’s General Fund.
County Commissioner Patti Adair supported the six-month extension as long as new people coming to the area during warmer months be prevented from accessing the TSSA area. She also expressed frustration with the fact that only 35 people have exited the site. Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler said part of the issue is that it takes time for service providers to build trust with campers.
Commissioner Phil Chang said, “We need to be thinking about creating, not just other places for people to go besides the TSSA, but real pathways out of homelessness for people.”
In a news release issued after the meeting, Kebler said, “With a little more time and clearer guidelines, we are ensuring the Temporary Safe Stay Area can be safely managed while allowing continued collaboration with the service providers who are steadily moving people out of homelessness and into housing.”
There is no clear plan on how to assist the remaining campers with housing solutions. The Bend City Council directed staff to come up with ideas to present at a Feb. 25 financial strategy meeting. The City may consider using one-time proceeds from land sales at Juniper Ridge to help fund solutions.
City and County staff will collaborate on additional guidance until full closure in 2027. Both the City of Bend and Deschutes County must take formal votes to approve the updated framework and its funding.
This article appears in the Source January 29, 2026.
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