On Feb. 20, there was this improvised camp on city property off the north end of Columbus Street.
Hoping to prevent or at least to reduce illegal camping by the homeless, Albany city officials are working on a proposal to authorize temporary encampments in certain places such as church parking lots.
The idea cropped up publicly in the minutes of the Feb. 1 meeting of the city’s Public Safety Commission, an advisory board to the city council on matters concerning the police and fire departments. The minutes are attached to the agenda of the board’s meeting at 7 p.m. tonight (April 5) at the police headquarters, 2600 Pacific Blvd. S.W.
The minutes quote Police Chief Marcia Harnden saying that although it may not be a popular idea, Albany has a “desperate need” for temporary tent cities at churches and other locations. “The alternative is continually chasing calls all over the city regarding illegal camping.”
The municipal code does not allow such encampments now.
In response to my question, the chief elaborated in an email:
“What you read was discussion of work being put together for an Emergency Transition Housing Ordinance. This would be an ordinance allowing temporary encampments in certain locations (like church parking lots). This is brought about due to the need to identify safe locations in the city where people can camp for up to 180 days. This will help alleviate camping issues in our parks and nature areas. The ordinances will allow certain entities to apply and get a permit to use their location as a temporary camp location. Some of this is brought about by HB 3115, which narrows the City’s ability to regulate illegal camping. Part of this work would be the city identifying some open space for people to go rather than camp in parks and other public spaces. Code Compliance Officer [Kris] Schendel is working on the ordinance, which we don’t currently have on the books. We hope to have it ready in May.”
The bill she mentioned, HB 3115, was passed by the 2021 legislature. Among other things it requires cities to give people in unauthorized camps at least three days’ notice before they have to move.
I wondered if the idea of authorized temporary tent cities had worked anywhere else. They had them, the chief said, in King County, Wash., where she worked as a police captain in the city of Bellevue before taking the Albany job in 2019.
We’ll find out more about this proposal when a draft of the authorizing city ordinance is published and put on the agenda for the Albany council to enact. (hh)
This tent was set up below the Dave Clark Riverfront Path on Feb. 8. It’s gone now.
Bringing filth, drugs, crime and crazies to a neighborhood near you.
You don’t want homeless folks camping in public spaces.
You don’t want homeless folks camping in organized sites.
You don’t want homeless folks anywhere near you.
You refuse to do anything to assuage the challenges faced by homeless folks.
You hold any agency proposing assistance in disdain.
You are unable to locate any internal compassion for anyone facing difficulty.
This is typical of the good Christian response found everywhere in Albany.
Praise the Lord.
So, Mr Compassion, how many are you putting up on YOUR property?
None? I didn’t think so.
Let’s put 300 tent folks in the Walmart parking lot, that way Hartman can whine about them like he did when people would stay overnight (close to his house) because Walmart had a policy nationally to allow folks to park overnight but it was against Albany Code…..
I agree with MarK, it amounts to enabling a chosen lifestyle.
Why should people spend perfectly good money on rent and utilites when there are other options to help stretch those drug dollars? Come on man!
People don’t have the money to pay $1,300 for a studio apartment. It costs $100 minimum to buy two bags of groceries nowadays. We are in a crisis in this world in about every way possible.
So, a lot of people do not have a roof over their head. You have not one iota of compassion.
Not after the various levels of govt. extract their taxes to support the deadbeats you love so much. Welcome to Socialism 101!
Growing weeds more than 10 inches tall on your private property is a crime, but allowing a homeless encampment on the same private property is acceptable?
Makes imperfect sense to me.
In 2008 the state of Oregon released a 10-year Plan to End Homelessness.
Here we are 15 years later and the problem is much, much worse.
This is failure on a grand scale by politicians, bureaucrats, and others who profit from the problem.
Here is a simple first step towards solving the problem – Pass a law that states being homeless makes you a danger to yourself and others. Then require every homeless person to involuntarily receive professional mental and/or drug abuse treatment as a condition for receiving taxpayer funded shelter services. Treat the underlying issues first.
You get what you vote for. Democrat politicians have been destroying this state for decades and it’s going to get worse if people continue to believe their propaganda in the media. People, do your homework find out the facts before you vote. (The Truth doesn’t mind being questioned a Lie doesn’t like being challenged.) Think about that. God Bless America.
Anony Mouse: (And your name no longer conjures up a cute image for me!) Oregon is last in the 50 states in having rehab facilities for drug abusers. Oregon is first in the states (or tied for first) in drug abuse (and we have no facilities to help them). Oh, while I am at it: To Drew S., Ronald Reagan did away with most mental help facilities in this nation. He was a Democrat when he was young; but he became a Republican when he married a so-so actress, Nancy Davis, whose father was a well-off, Republican doctor in Illinois, I believe.
I think if you research the problem you will find out it is the courts who stopped mental hospitals in the State of Oregon plus nobody wanted to fund them. I had a friend 40 years ago with a son with schizophrenia and he could not be committed without his approval so he remained on the streets until he committed a crime and the courts gave him a choice of going into mental or prison and he selected mental.
Gee Cap! Name the federal mental hospital in Oregon. There might have been one but I don’t remember it. If you saw One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, that was filmed in the Oregon State Hospital in Salem and the Doctor who interviewed Jack Nicholson was the head of the hospital.
My people have been in Oregon since 1852. So, I know about “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’s” filming. It sure as hell was not set in the time period of Ronald Reagan’s tenure as President. And, Ronald Reagan is the one who got the ball rolling on doing away with most of the mental care facilities.
Cap, deinstitutionalization of psychiatric patients was the idea of Democrat bureaucrats in the 50s and 60s, their intentions was to help these people. Did it work? Yes, Reagan repealed some of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 signed by Democrat President Jimmy Carter but you’ll find the Patients Bill of Rights 501 was not repealed. Cap, the propaganda, hate and destruction of this country is happening everywhere try to be open minded, listen and hear both sides don’t rely one sides opinion. We all need to work together and save our country, are you happy with how it’s changing?
Drew S: Don’t be condescending and talk down to me. (I typed a similar message to you, but Hasso didn’t print it, so I’m trying again.) Don’t tell me I have to listen to the Trump Cult with their conspiracy theories and lies. Tend to your own writing and do not tell me what to write.
Creating Housing Coalition in Albany is moving forward to solving part of these issues.
PS: As of April 1, 2023, Albany Helping Hands will ONLY serve those in shelter residence. No drop ins.
I am happy to see they are thinking proactively about this and making sure they have a place to safely camp and not be moved constantly.
Now THIS will bring people to the downtown!!! Woo-hoo!
The closest church parking lots to downtown are around the Court House. I hope some churches see their way to provide some temporary shelter for people. What about using the (I’m guessing on the size) 3 vacant city lots on 1st Street for a homeless camp once the remains of the bank building are hauled off? Let Albany’s elite, upon making their way to Sybaris to eat, or to ride the Carousel, or to frolic in the new splash pad in the hot sun at Monteith (since the trees are scarce), see what the real world is like.
A couple weeks back I suggested they use the lot to build those little houses since it’s close to parole, rehab, public assistance, the employment office and both city busses. You are obviously a heartless left winger to suggest mere tents.
You know damned well the city is not going to let little houses be built on the soon-to-be vacant bank building lot. You are just being cute, in your mind. But, it is not cute to call me a heartless anything!! Knock it off! I have to defend myself, because Hasso doesn’t police you guys much, it seems to me.
According to Oregonlive.com, there are 18,000 homeless people in Oregon. Why don’t you liberals pay each one of them $100,000 per year not to be homeless. That is only $180,000,000 per year which is much less that the libs are spending and we would get a lot of the back by eliminating all the state workers including the governor who continue to waste our money. The only requirements are that they be Oregon residents for 2 years and if they go back on the street they lose their stipend. This would ignite the economy as they will undoubtedly spend it on drugs, etc.
The problem is…. those liberals would be spending OUR money (tax dollars).
Sorry if this comes off as rude but what the F**k ever…..not all of the homeless are bad people….not all do drugs you should NEVER judge anyone and here is why you never know you could be homeless tomorrow…..
Right on, Nima. Thanks for your comment. To echo you, not every homeless person is on drugs!!! Statements that they are all on drugs are the right-wing spewing out hate.
How about this: We let the homeless build encampments in the yards of all city council members. When those yards are completely crammed full, we then move to the Chief of Police Marcia Harnden’s yard. Once her yard is full we begin to let them build their tent cities in public parking lots. NOT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY!!!!
How’s decriminalizing drugs working out?
The article does not state if churches proposed using their parking lots or if it was suggested by the Police chief. If a church or churches want to use or let their property be used in this way then that should be allowed.
It is my understanding that this idea in working in Corvallis where there is operation between a non-profit organization oversees the operation of tiny homes, agreements, enforcement of rules, administration etc on church property. In talking with the Pastors from some of these churches it seems to be working to help with this situation in Corvallis. It has not eliminated the tent city shrinking up but it is helping some people who need help.
This might be something for our city to look into.
I have lived by the Willamette river for over 50 years. The camping issue along the river is the worst it has ever been before. We have an ord. in the city but it is not enforced. I have talked to several neighbors who won’t even walked the trail anymore because they don’t think it is safe.
I have had some good and some bad experience with the people living down there. Several years ago I had a woman take some items off my back porch. When I went down there and she was gone I took them back. A couple of years ago a homeless dug up my potatoes from my garden at 3 AM. I paid for and watered them and in one night they were gone.
We have had car break ins but don’t know if that was the homeless or not as it happens everywhere.
The sanitation bothers me. A couple of years ago I went behind my shop where I found toilet paper where someone that was camping close by was using my tree for her bathroom. I have seen a woman take a bath using the drinking faucet at Eads Park while kids played nearby. If we are going to allow camping anywhere they need sanitation and garbage pickup. Most of the camps along the river are a big mess. If you are going to give the homeless food etc. please include garbage bags.
Yes, homelessness is a very real crisis….for those who are homeless and for those who live near homeless encampments. But, homeless people are not all bad people and are not all on drugs. I have read that if you fine mentally and morally when you become homeless, often you will be mentally ill, on drugs, and stealing if you are homeless long enough. It is living “hand to mouth,” as the old saying goes, while either freezing or being burning hot, depending on the season of the year.
I personally think the government should make homeless camps away from the city and away from people’s homes. I have nothing against homeless people but I don’t care who you are, common sense and respect for others means stay off private property, don’t bathe in public parks, don’t litter that means don’t litter ANYWHERE BY ANYONE, keep your urine and feces to yourself, people camp with tents ⛺️ all of the time but they certainly don’t have trash all around where they live. I don’t like driving around town or down the highway looking at tents set up alongside the roads in plain sight. If the government wants to fix this then find large areas like the BLM land has and designate this area to all homeless. It would have a garbage and outhouse. I am not saying that I have all of the answers but I do know there are thousands of jobs for anyone willing to do the work.
Very tough to get hired by anyone if you are homeless….especially for a job that is permanent and would pay enough to rent a small apartment for about $1,300 a month.
So the solution is to just wait for a handout and not even try to work or make your life better?
I don’t know what the solution is. I don’t know if there is an answer to homelessness in this day and age. But, I sure as hell know that the answer for homelessness in Albany is not a huge slab of cement (splash pad, that is) taking up most of the green space in Monteith Park, along with a new stage to the tune of 15 million dollars.
Agreed. Less concrete the better.
Laura, one of the main reasons homeless congregate close to downtown are the resources. Most don’t have transportation. If they are outside of the city, they would not have access to the resources like mental health and treatment, both located downtown. Or to the drop in centers and soup kitchens. The drop in centers play a vital role in helping to find employment and housing, help link treatment and sometimes detox. These services are vital to the homeless community to help end the cycle for many that are homeless. There are many programs that are working that are placing people into temporary housing until permanent housing becomes available. But it does take time and as the economy suffers, others become homeless. Some of the comments that people choose to be homeless, yea, maybe a small percent, a very small percent, but definitely not the majority. Most people would prefer to be housed. I hope this answers your question with a different perspective and a case for support for housing and shelter close to resources. I am not saying tents all over DT, but some type of supportive housing / fairly close that’s either on a free bus route, walking distant or cab vouchers.