One of Bend’s three new safe parking sites was the focus of an earlier debate over how to help the homeless
Spencer Sacks
(Update: Adding quotes from City of Bend Shelter Coordinator, Brook O’Keefe and Executive Director of the Mountain View Community Development, Rick Russell)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — One of Bend’s three new Safe Parking Program locations had its first residents move a few weeks ago.
Just off the corner of South Highway 97, next to Les Schwab Tires center, is the new safe parking site. One that will house 6 vehicles. a small part of bend’s homeless.
KTVZ News spoke with the City of Bend Shelter Coordinator, Brook O’Keefe to learn more.
O’Keefe said to KTVZ News, “2025 point in time count identified one thousand and one people experiencing houselessness in the City of Bend. 55% of those folks are living unsheltered. Safe Parking, provides an opportunity to increase our shelter capacity, providing more space for folks to stabilize and work towards their next steps to gain permanent housing, as well as helping to mitigate unsanctioned camping by providing a space for people.”
The city hopes these locations continue to provide the homeless the ability to get back on their feet.
Back in 2023, Deschutes County Board of Commissioners and the City of Bend were going to build a managed camp for homeless people.
However, at the 11th hour, county commissioners voted two to one to pull the plan after several people and business owners voiced concern.
Rick Russell, the Executive Director of the Mountain View Community Development, whose running the site, tells KTVZ News why this is different.
Russell told KTVZ News, “This will be a site for six vehicles. There’s case management, theres facility staff, theres security cameras, there’s fencing. There’s a number of security measures we take to make sure that this is safe for our participants, as well as safe for the community.”
This is just one of several sites currently operating all around Bend, but Russell told KTVZ in the previous locations where there’s safe parking, businesses have seen a reduction of problematic behavior in their area.