Bend and Deschutes County approved a Juniper Ridge strategy for a managed temporary living site at a 170-acre area east of Highway 97, following the Mile Marker 132 Fire.
In September 2024, the City of Bend and Deschutes County approved a strategy centered on a 170-acre area at Juniper Ridge, east of Highway 97, designated as a "Temporary Safe Stay Area." Both bodies voted unanimously. The decision followed months of planning and was accelerated by the Mile Marker 132 Fire in August 2024, a 78-acre blaze caused by a cooking fire at an encampment.
What happened at Mile Marker 132
In August 2024, a cooking fire at an encampment near mile marker 132 on Highway 97 ignited a 78-acre wildfire. The fire drew a large emergency response and threatened nearby properties. Unmanaged camping in wildfire-prone areas creates risk for both nearby residents and the people camping.
The fire did not create the homelessness crisis in Central Oregon. It occurred about a month before the City and County vote.
The Juniper Ridge strategy
The approved plan designates 170 acres at Juniper Ridge as a Temporary Safe Stay Area. The site is divided between County jurisdiction (approximately 50 acres) and City jurisdiction (approximately 120 acres), east of Highway 97. The strategy includes:
- Managed camping with designated sites rather than uncontrolled encampments
- Hygiene facilities including restrooms, showers, and laundry
- Case management services to help residents transition to permanent housing
- Security with on-site management and enforcement of behavioral expectations
- Full closure of other unauthorized camping areas by May 31, 2025
The last point means the strategy consolidates scattered encampments into a single managed location, where services can be delivered and public lands can be restored.
The housing connection
Housing researchers and local service providers commonly point to a lack of affordable housing as a primary driver of homelessness. In Central Oregon, most people experiencing homelessness previously lived and worked in the area, and lost housing to rising costs, medical emergencies, job loss, or family breakdown.
The Juniper Ridge site is explicitly temporary. It's not meant to become a permanent settlement. The goal is to provide a stable, safe base from which people can work with case managers to find permanent housing. The strategy's success depends on the availability of affordable permanent housing to move people into.
Affordable units built through the city's housing programs, ADUs rented at below-market rates, and middle housing developments that add supply at lower price points all expand the permanent housing available for people to move into from Juniper Ridge.
Community reactions
The Juniper Ridge strategy has drawn mixed reactions. Some residents worry about concentrating homeless services in one area. Others argue that dispersed camping was worse for both the homeless population and the community. Business owners near the Highway 97 corridor have raised concerns about commercial impact.
Every approach to encampments involves trade-offs. Managed concentration with services is a better trade-off than unmanaged dispersion without services. Whether that judgment proves correct will depend on execution, funding, and the pace of permanent housing development.
Connection to the housing market
The Juniper Ridge strategy does not directly affect home prices or the market for buyers and sellers.
First, the success of the strategy depends on affordable housing supply. Every affordable unit that gets built, whether through the city's housing programs, private development, or new projects like Caraway, creates capacity to move people from temporary shelter to permanent housing.
Second, how Bend addresses homelessness affects the city's livability and reputation, which can influence property values and buyer demand.
Third, unmanaged encampments in fire-prone areas create risk that can affect insurance rates, property values, and the safety of nearby neighborhoods.
What to watch
The implementation timeline is tight. The May 31, 2025 deadline for closure of unauthorized camping areas is a key milestone. Key questions to monitor:
- Does the Juniper Ridge site attract adequate funding for services?
- Are case management resources sufficient to move residents toward permanent housing?
- Does the city follow through on enforcement at other camping locations?
- Can permanent housing development keep pace with the need for transition housing?
The transition timeline
The strategy includes a phased closure of other unauthorized camping areas, with a final deadline of May 31, 2025. Transitioning hundreds of people from dispersed locations to a single managed site involves practical challenges, including transportation, personal property, service continuity, and the willingness of individuals to relocate.
The enforcement component, closing other camping areas after the Juniper Ridge site is operational, will also be closely watched. Previous attempts to close camping areas without providing alternatives were largely unsuccessful and legally challenged. By providing a managed alternative first, the strategy aims to withstand both practical and legal scrutiny.
We cover how housing policy and community issues intersect in our housing market section. If you have questions about how these dynamics affect your real estate decisions, our team can talk them through with you.
