From across Jackson Street on Sunday, a view of the vehicle lot at Albany’s designated homeless camping site.
Given the reports last week on conditions in “Marvin’s Garden,” it was clear that Albany’s designated camping site for homeless people would have to be shut down.
On Monday morning, City Manager Peter Troedsson told me in an email that a decision had not yet been made.
But he added:
“Costs are increasing; they are unbudgeted and have never been reimbursed by the state. Public safety concerns, as well as concerns for the safety of city staff, are increasing as well. Chance will no longer send staff to the site due to threats and actual physical violence experienced by service providers and even police. It’s a dynamic situation. We continue to evaluate many factors (including safety, security, workload, budgetary impact, and compliance with state law), the options available to the City, and the ramifications of each of those options.”
(CHANCE is the nonprofit recovery center that took over the Signs of Victory homeless shelter on Jackson Street and runs it as “Second Chance.”)
By Monday evening, Troedsson had told the Albany Democrat-Herald that starting on Tuesday people at the site would be given 30 days to leave.
The two lots on Jackson Street between Ninth Avenue and the Pacific Boulevard viaduct were opened a year ago, one for 15 tent spots and the other for people who had vehicles.
The city council named the place for a man who had lived on the river and the streets in Albany years ago. The name turned into a cruel joke. There was nothing garden-like about these lots. And many of the people now lumped together as “homeless” are not like Marvin, who was on good terms with people in town and the police.
Last week the city council heard about drug use and fights at the site, about 22 police calls for criminal matters there in 22 days, and about a police officer sustaining a concussion when she was punched in the face by someone at the camp.
On Friday, Troedsson gave the council this report:
“On Wednesday of this week, APD Community Service Officers posted eight camps for violating the rules of the site. The quantity of abandoned garbage that is piling up there has become unmanageable for our CSOs and Public Works staff, and has become unsafe. When a camper abandons a camp, new campers move in and remove all abandoned property and place it on the sidewalk, leaving city staff to remove it. The risk level to CSOs and other staff for potentially serious injuries from the garbage or assaults from campers is highly elevated, and the problems of the site are diverting increasing amounts of staff-time from other priorities.”
The city opened this site in July 23 to comply with a state law. The law remains in effect but a recent Supreme Court decision in a case from Grants Pass gives cities more latitude to regulate camping on public land. (hh)
The corner of Marvin’s Garden on Sunday afternoon, July 28, 2024.
It’s really sad but being homeless doesn’t give a person the right to not clean up after yourself people think it’s okay to leave garbage all over no it doesn’t and it’s not okay to harm others they should be grateful they have a place to be when I was homeless I never had a place to be I had to be discrete and hide. I am sorry but they are doing it to their selves. Although a lot of these people are mental they closed the mental institutions that many were held so our good old government put them on the streets when they closed the one in Salem and willsonville. Homeless people are not all druggies it’s too bad our government can’t help our own but everyone else
I agree. I’m all for helping the homeless and was happy about Albany making an area available,
but the behavior I just read is so upsetting. I now agree with the decision to close this site. I drove by recently and was disappointed in the unsafe way this site is handled. It looks like a health issue is present. The attack on the policeman is very unsettling.
I am in total agreement with you, if they would learn to follow rules and be thankful they have a place to stay at all. I was on the street with my older brother not more than 3 years ago and we were able to stay in places that were kicking others out because we kept our places clean, and I was 60 and my brother was 62.
When anarchy comes calling, what is city government’s primary concern?
To protect the current budget, of course. That is the political/bureaucratic priority.
I say move the camp(s) to south and/or east Albany. The city has already determined that these areas are blighted. And a homeless camp or two won’t add much to the existing blight.
At least until millions in future urban renewal dollars (TIF) can be spent.
Then a new location for the encampment(s) will need to be identified. But that’s a problem for future city politicians/bureaucrats.
When anarchy comes calling, a city must be nimble.
Gordon, When the going gets tough a city must be nimby….
I think is what you meant to say.
You certainly don’t want to send them east…North is the place you wanna be (Albany)
or keep going till PDX is always a good choice.
Jed and kin went to Beverly and that worked out well. …and I truely think that California would genuinely give a warm welcome. “Send ’em your wretched masses yearning to be high” Yup, that’s the ticket!
What is the definition of insanity?
Let’s put 30 meth users in a small area and expect a different result.
Come on people!
Amen Mike!
Chance is a wonderful organization that does their best for the homeless. They provide overnight shelter Food clothing and counseling . We did of day volunteering with them and most of the homeless were respectful and kind people.It was obvious a few of them had mental issues. As for Marvin Gardens, you can’t allow homeless camping without constant supervision. With that many people crammed into a small area, the likelihood of issues and potential violence due to drugs and alcohol, is not uncommon.
Don’t feed the bears…
YES,,,! Truck them over to Corvallis to the OSU area with lots of open ground to camp. Those student on a social degree program will have lots of “poor souls” to deal with. GOOD RIDDENCE..!!
If you shut it down the homeless will just scatter through out you city. Right now law enforcement knows where they are. And if law enforcement can’t handle then ie going in and getting punched in the face that’s unacceptable and whoever the shift sergeant and captain should be held responsible for allowing officers to go in when they are not ready for something to happen and not sending enough officers to handle it. Come on law enforcement. You know these people are on drugs be prepared to handle the situation.
I’m retired and my wife and I live are living in our motorhome on the streets of corvallis. Most of my friends are homeless we try and help people as much as we can, we dont have much our self, some times we help others more than we should and we pay for it later in the month when we go with out things like, food, propane, gas. I have stage 4 prostate cancer and I will spend helping the homeless as much as I can till my last day on the earth.
God bless you for your efforts and for reminding us that the homeless are people and all our responsibility. A little kindness goes a long way my friend. You are both outstanding individuals and we should all model your kindness, generosity and humanity. The world and our city, would be a better place for all.
Peace & Blessings
All of our responsibilities?!? Bull!!!
your reactions to the homeless has no place in helping them. You and those like you are self-serving. You contribute to the problem by condoning their lazy , ungrateful, dirty disgusting behavior so
( you think ) you’re looked at as good person. Some may call you good I call you ann idiot. There those some who have mental issues and should be addressed for that …spend on helping their mental issues. and then there are those that act mental , ungrateful, dirty, sloppy the world owes me , who hang around with dogs, friends, phones, bikes, bike carts, carriages, stolen properties, Drugs, alcohol, and who knows what else While sucking up to those Who are stupid enough to think they are helping them. Instead of giving them the world in the palm of their hands and using taxpayers money to clean up after them…,address, the mentally ill, and the let the others earn their keep and make them clean up the messes they leave everywhere with all the free time they have disgraceful
Thats wonderful and surely much appreciated but not all are like you. Many are terrible and hurt others. We wont even go to certain places after having to deal with homeless who are threatening and trash the area so much. Tired of watching places become trashed by people who often try to hurt others.
Would you please explain why your living in your motorhome? Are you from Oregon? I don’t hear many stories from homeless people and I’d like to know. Thanks
Camping without access to utilities anywhere is not helpful. Living where people have to fend for themselves is the reason so much trash is accumulated. If it was made like a regular camp ground where small trailers were available for rent with garbage service, electric, water and showers available. Camp hosts and people made responsible for their own area would solve a lot of the issues. Instead of so much funding going to temporary shelters these campgrounds could be their safe home until affordable homes are available. This would also separate the most problematic people from the people who are able to function with just a little help. Food trucks would be great too. If some were made for hot food then renters could have good food at a minimal price so they can pay for it. Many homeless have some government income and other aid. Cold food trucks could sell food available with snap benefits. There are many ways to increase the quality of life for people when they are allowed to help themselves. Homelessness is not going to be a quick fix but it does not have to be an abusive system that is failing.
To quote you, Chris J., “until affordable homes are available.” That will never happen on a large scale that will do away with homelessness. Capitalism is all “pull yourselves up by your bootstraps”; a stupid saying and not viable. The U.S. has Extreme Capitalism, and, as I understand it, we are the only country in the world that has it. It isn’t working except for the rich and big corporations. The little guy has been steadily left behind since the bubble after World War II burst…which was very evident by the 1970s when wages stagnated, except for top execs and CEOs, and unions were busted…which greatly accelerated in 1980 when Ronald Reagan got in office and shut down the Air Traffic Controller’s union. Yes, now we have higher wages, but we also have higher prices for everything. Also, a whole lot of people are not able to get tech jobs. And, tech and A.I. are taking over. And high wages don’t help the many people in the U.S. who are too old to work.
The highest priced housing in the US is in Blue Cities such as Portland, This is caused by conservatives, Reagan, or who as your rant makes little or no sense. As somebody who was born in a house with no insulation, with no running water, an out house, and a wood stove for cooking and is now a conservative, even though my grandpa loved FDR because he brought in electricity, the fact that people that do not succeed mostly have them selfs to blame. If you took a poll of the homeless, you would find that a vast majority are druggies, alcoholics, and a lot of mental patients released because liberal judges said they can’t be hospitalized without their consent. I have heard the liberals are spending over a $100,000 per homeless person on the west coast. Why don’t they just give druggies drugs, alcoholics alcohol, and work with the rest of the homeless and see if they can alleviate their problems. Until Albany knows what they are dealing with in the homeless population, they cannot fix anybodies problem.
Oh, boy, you are really a typically unempathetic conservative. Glad I don’t deal with you in my little corner of the world.
Ditto! I have no need to deal with a liberal who is unwilling to face facts. I’ll give you another statistic from my high school friend, who was the warden of an Oregon penal institute which I toured, who stated that prison population is predominately made up of drug and alcohol offenders which except for mental is the signature problem with the homeless. I’ll give you another statistic which is the Oregon drug law passed set up $350 million for voluntary rehab for drug users and had virtually no takers so there is virtually no way to help people that won’t help themselves. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.
You need to take a poll. There are a lot of people homeless for other legit reasons!!! NOT JUST DRUGS AND MENTAL REASONS THAT A JUDGE LET GO!!!
And what about when help is offered but its still a problem? Trying to help people who dont want help or threaten you when all you are trying to do is help. I am tired of not being able to have access to places we enjoy because we are threatened or its just too trashed. So even if you give them resources they still act like degenerates and hurt others and trash the place they are given.
Hot food delivered to their door? Whata great idea! What’s next? Massage….mayby with a happy ending too? Can “The State” cover that also? Utopia!
The shelter and others feed them for free. Most of the people receiving government funds are disabled or elderly. Ever heard of meals on wheels? They deliver meals directly to their door and it is free too. Making food available for them to purchase using their own funds plus paying rent helps reduce the funding needed from other sources. People need to start somewhere. Why is it a problem to make it a little easier to buy food? Lifting people up is cheaper and more successful than donating money to shelters to pay their wages and make useless parking lots for them to park. It is a waste of funding and a utopia for the people who get money for doing very little to help anyone.
Now That’s Exactly on POINT.. I ABSOLUTELY AGREE w/You..
There is already COUNTLESS opportunities such as what you suggested, minus maybe the front door service (which is laughable). Indiscriminate handouts are one of the largest contributers to this issue as well as a waste of resources that could be applied to those actually seeing these opportunities through. There has been countless programs, and support systems attempted to be implemented over the years, and although good intentioned and well meaning for the most part, are always taken advantage of to the point they are eventually scrapped for the very same system in a different wrapper at a later day. Regardless of intent being positive or negative, decisions being made to cater the minority (in a numerical sense, not demographic) instead of the overwhelming majority, this is what you get. And the majority is surely abusing and taking advantage of these programs, which only continues to hurt those truly in need, and who would apply the opportunity in a positive manner if only they weren’t being overwhelmed by those with less than well meanings.
If someone is morally unburdened by leaving trash, debris, and waste around all areas of their domicile, what makes you think it would get ANY better by having others take care of those responsibilities for them??…if you aren’t capable of crapping outside Of your living space, or cleaning up basic trash, let alone drug paraphernalia, how are you going to be capable of paying for this affordable housing???
So
Let’s give them more services? Is that really yhe consensus among commentators on here??
Whatever you pay for, support or encourage YOU GET MORE OF!
i have been to CHANCE twice, asking if i could put a note on there message board, concerning a place to live for a homeless person. they told me no, both times. CHANCE is a bunch of hypocrites. they will happily take your money donation, but if you want to put a homeless person in a home they will have nothing to do with you. that is hypocrisy at its finest. it was also noted here in h h, if you can not take a homeless person home with you, donate money to H.H., CHANCE, etc. ok, im ready to take a homeless person home with me. just how do i do that? stop under the bridge, open the door, first one gets in gets a home? where or how do we connect local people with local people in this town? i cant not get a answer to that question. other than donate more money to CHANCE, a outfit that refuses to connect homeless people with people who have homes. aka, taking a homeless person home with you. someone must have a answer.
I consider myself propertyless, not homeless. I live in my van… Wish it was a motorhome a little bigger would be nice. But I have a bathroom, bed, frig and cook stove and oven. Due to Covid and rent price increase exceeded my fixed income. My dream one day to build a tiny house on a couple acres and live my life out. I just became a great grandmother last week with no where to have my grandchildren visit, I would say that is the worst part of this adventure in my life. I wish there were more people like you to want to help. I wish a couple months ago I would have seen your kindness, I knew a lady who really needed a home for a few months while she got her vehicle fixed to go back to her home in west Virginia. She was stranded here for the last 6 months. She could have really used the kindness of a human being. Instead she lost everything. Yes something needs to be done about the homeless drug addicts and mentally ill ones, but there are still the ones hout here not by chocie. To even get into a place even if you could afford lots of them don’t have good references and low credit score. When another place asks me what my credit score is, hey I’ll let it pay my bills because I sure as heck don’t see it paying my car insurance or phone bill. And I can’t understand why they are so dirty. I’m homeless and I clean up after myself throw my garage away, it’s not hard. People think it’s fun or what we want to be homeless, for some it is to them, to others they just don’t care but for us that do care stop profiling us as the rest and passing judgement on us last time I looked you aren’t God.
Please share your story. I’d like to know.
As a person who lives up the street, this is the best news I’ve heard all year.
Hello, all. I’m here to keep it simple.
Pee and Poo.
This is not a sanitary “KAAMP”.
It needs to go. Build a home there.
It is not all meth. New drugs on the market! Fentanyl & Gorilla Tranq. Take the time to look these up so you are up to date on what you are seeing for those addicted. Fortunately, some of our unhoused will be capable of getting out of the circle of addiction by utilizing services available. The unfortunates who can’t see their way out off the needle will perish. A fast education tool: Check out YouTube: kensington PA, Camera 2. The unfortunates are using/sleeping it off zombie like/then use again. That is their life.
Fentanyl is not a not a new drug. There is nothing new about it. Fetty has been in Albany many, many years. Mixing drugs of any sort, and consuming it is nothing new, Oregano was found in marijuana in the 1960’s. Its amazing how drama can be added.
It is time, and long overdue. People experiencing homelessness, alcohol and other addictions should be held accountable for their actions, just as anyone in the community. If the city and community do not have any expectations, or consequences for the people we as a whole are supporting, why would they hold themselves accountable. There needs to be a massive clean up all over this town! Fines for those who camp, loiter, litter, and defecate in public spaces! If they are receiving public services, government funds then they should be “Required” to follow through with treatment and the things they need to do!
Look here me and my brother and I was 60 and my brother was 62 we ended up on the street with only an old cop car to sleep in my brother got the back seat while I on the other hand had to sleep in the front seat sitting up and this was during the winter and we did not ask to be there but couldn’t afford the price of rent on our own and huds waiting list was more than 3 years long. We kept our places clean so when they were throwing others out off their lots they would let us stay we would only park at night and during the day we would take our dogs to the doggie park or go visit friends ( mind you our friends would’ve let us stay with them but they were either on hud or their landlord’s would not permit this, yes my kids where willing to keep me at their house but I refused to let my brother stay on the street by himself, but we did everything we could to get help after 6 months we were able to get help from my brother’s VA program. They got us a motel room in Albany and helped us get emergency hud vouchers so we were only in the motel for a month and a half we had two dogs each tho they were small dogs but we kept the motel room clean and the dog’s went out every two hours the motel people told us when we were able to get our own places said it was a pleasure to have us stay and we could come back at any time. We have since been in our own homes with the help of hud and the fact we paid our bill each and every month on time. But those out there because they couldn’t afford the rent prices anymore I feel ya. It can be very frustrating and scary. so before you make any kind of judgement ask the person what caused them to be there the one’s that had no control over the reason will be honest with you if they aren’t and if you listen carefully you will be able to tell if they are lieing or not it will show.
Marvin Gardens is a monopoly property…
Have them put up in nice hotels and taken care of & given benefits… jyst like they do to illegal immigrants in NYC…. There aren’t homeless hungry destitute illegal immigrants in NYC…. They live in nice hotels and ard raken care of w tax payer dollars … so takd care of homeless needy American citizens too.
Looking at all the comments that I did above and No I didn’t read all of them!!!!!
Homelessness doesn’t = drug addict / meth user / incompetent human being.
I myself have a bachelor’s degree in accounting I cannot afford the cost of living in the state of Oregon whether it be an apartment or a house I barely at times can afford the gas that it takes in my car to get myself around and the groceries it takes to feed myself my partner and my dog I am homeless I live in my car I’m not a drug addict I’m not a meth user and I’m definitely not incompetent I just don’t make enough money to live in this state to live in this town I will not disclose whether or not I live at Marvin gardens I will not disclose whether or not I still reside even close to it or where exactly in this town I live but I live out of my car I have for 2 years now graduating with a bachelor’s degree while doing so but I’m disabled I am not physically able to do any physical labor I can’t get social security yet because they don’t find me disabled enough
So the problem with homelessness is our society our government our law enforcement anything that is related to state or federal nobody cares that I can’t afford to pay rent for an apartment or a home nobody cares whether or not I have a job I collect disability or I just simply as everybody puts bums off of others stands with a sign and begs for money or collects cans just so I have enough to eat
Wake up people homelessness is everywhere and it will continue to be everywhere as long as we continue to raise prices on roofs and four walls or food in our bodies the cost of living is ungodly outrageous and nobody seems to care if you make enough money why should you care about your neighbor who probably doesn’t.
A few weeks ago I had to go the Sheriff’s Office for some business. I drove by Marvin’s Gardens, camps under the overpass, RV’s and old vehicles parked across from the Sheriff’s Office…”camping”. It was to be frank a disgusting trashy mess. Is this what the city wants in our community? There is no easy answer to this issue. However, a successful city back East found that providing TEMPORARY housing, drug-alcohol treatment and jobs training got a lot of them off their streets. For a lot of these people, it is a life choice and they want to live on the street. Many are able bodied and should be working if not for addiction issues. My temporary solution; find 3-5 acres of city-county owned land, away from residential/business areas and allow them to stay. Provide water, porta pots, dumpsters and it is up to the “campers” to keep the area clean. If they have warrants or commit crimes (even minor crime), they must be prosecuted. It is time we all are held accountable to each other and to society. Trashing our communities is not that and the politicians are failing on this issue.
i think its time to pin down CHANCE. people donate money to CHANCE, and the hypocrites at CHANCE refuse to connect homeless people with people who have homes. someone please, i ask again, someone please explain to me why anyone should give money to CHANCE. lets see what the supporters of CHANCE has to say about this, or will they go stick there heads in the sand to avoid hypocricy? ….i’ll bet on the later
I have read every comment above. Some are cruel, some are heartless, but many are sincere in what must be done to address Albany’s unsheltered problem. AlbanyHUTS.org has been working on a possible humane approach to help some of the local unsheltered. The city will not allow the Albany HUTS program because it does not meet city codes and they will not adjust the city codes to accommodate the Conestoga-style huts. Please visit AlbanyHUTS.org to see what the program is about, then I invite everyone to attend the Sept. 25 City Council with me and give your comments. Albany deserves better. We are all in this together.
My church in Eugene, hosted six Conestoga huts. There are over 200 in use in congregated living areas. The city of Eugene paid to plumb in a shower in the church facility, so our guest residents had indoor rest room accommodations and a small kitchen pantry room. We hosted some wonderful people who offered landscape and lawn care as a way for them to give back to the church. They treated their huts and our church with pride. Eugene has come a long way managing their unhoused population. Not perfect but better. Today our church is now the location for Peace Village, home to about 100 residents, the inspiration behind Albany’s Hub City Village.