Corvallis city officials cleared out a large homeless encampment in Pioneer Park this week.
Sleeping in the park is prohibited because of its proximity to the Mary River. The area includes floodplains and a riparian zone.
Last week, Corvallis officials said they notified around 40 campsites there that they needed to disperse. The city then performed a sweep this Monday, with assistance from the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Jude Geist, Corvallis' Parks Division Manager, said there were concerns about litter, violence between occupants, and tents blocking the bike path at the parks. He also said there have been at least two fires there in recent weeks.
Geist said with the encampment out of the park, city officials can clean the site and mow the tall grass.
"If the fire were to extend beyond a camp, it could spread and catch multiple camps on fire," said Geist. "If you have people sleeping in there, it can become really a life threatening situation."
However, some homeless advocates have criticized the city's move, arguing the safety concerns haven't disappeared, while the community that was living there has been destabilized.
Maddie Bean is the Street Outreach and Response Team Coordinator for the Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center. She said there’s not enough shelter available for the people that’ve been displaced.
“They just are now even more in a state of distress, and even less likely to follow up on appointments,” said Bean. “Some are even more likely to try and stay hidden, and go deeper into areas that may be unsafe for them.”
Bean also said the sweeps make outreach workers' jobs more difficult, because clients are scattered across the city. She said it may take a week or two longer than usual to distribute services.
"I've been doing this for three years, and the people who have been swept have largely remained the same faces," said Bean. "We just need to question then, is it working, and shouldn't we try something different to try and actually support people?"
Geist said the city is working with Benton County to try to find better short-term and long-term housing solutions. Corvallis currently allows homeless people to sleep in several designated parks, but they must leave with their belongings every morning.
