A sign still sits in the window, stating the shelter's intention to add beds – which wouldn't require any construction or expansion of the building.At a July 1 meeting of the Bend City Council, councilors, once again, were faced with the issue of expanding the number of beds at the Shepherd's House, a shelter and resource center for homeless men. They were asked if they'd like to hear an appeal on the subject that was filed by a collection of neighbors, business owners and spearheaded by a former Bend mayor, and quite predictably, the council, on advice of city staff, voted not to hear the appeal.
But this isn't the end - just this week, the city's decision was appealed to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) for the third time, and the fight over adding 28 beds to the shelter (without any construction on the building) will continue, just as it's been doing for two and a half years. On one side is a shelter looking to give more men a roof over their heads and a chance to participate in an intensely organized program. The opposition is an array of individuals and organizations with varying opinions of the Shepherd's House united by a belief that more beds at the shelter will hurt the makeup of their community. At times, the dispute has gotten nasty and seemingly personal, creating a climate where productive dialogue seems impossible. But now, even with the decision still up in the air and another appeal to LUBA already filed, there might be a chance for progress in a dispute that for a while looked like it had no end in sight.
