Clackama’s homeless encampment cleared after years of effort, services in town at full capacity

CLACKAMAS Ore. (KPTV) – Clackamas County on Monday oversaw the removal of a homeless encampment on SE Clackamas Road following a two-year relief effort.

Some who live there said they believed it was only fair to move because they understood camping was illegal. But most people didn’t know where they would sleep on Monday night.

Jaimie Smith has been camping in SE Clackamas for over a year and said she hasn’t been able to get the help she needs.

“It’s just crazy. “I’m still trying to figure out what to take with me because there’s a chance I could lose everything,” Smith said.

He was excited to find a job at the nearby Dollar Tree. But months ago, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office warned him that he would soon be told to leave. He spent this time trying to find a car or help pulling his trailer full of belongings.

The notices came and when that day came, he had neither car nor help.

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“Actually, I won’t be given a house, I will go to a tent and somewhere to hide secretly under the blackberries for the winter. And try to get a job,” Smith said.

She worries about a cold winter and her safety as a single woman. Besides, he knows it shouldn’t Camp anywhere.

“It’s illegal, they’ve actually made it illegal to be homeless,” Smith said.

He said attitudes changed in June when the Supreme Court ruled on regulations banning camping on public land. He did not violate the Constitution. Smith said he worked with local charities but was never offered a solution.

Brandi Smith, executive director of the nonprofit LoveOne Community, said they have been helping SE Clackamas residents since 2022, providing resources and cleanup. However, when it came to that point, Clackamas services were at capacity, he said, and there were no safe overnight parking areas and 24/7 shelters.

Smith said he and his neighbors felt trapped and wished the community would just disappear.

“We all look out for each other, we know when someone is hungry and we bring them a sandwich. “We have each other’s birthdays at the park,” Smith said. “We are humans too.”

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At a July Board of County Commissioners meeting, representatives from neighboring businesses told commissioners there were safety concerns about the camp. The county has expressed its intention to return the street to the property owners through an easement holiday.

Scott Anderson, Clackamas County public information officer, sent the following statement to FOX 12:

“Our housing and homeless services team here in Clackamas County, along with our dedicated network of non-profit contracted homeless service providers, have dedicated hours of effort and resources to reach our friends and community members experiencing homelessness in this area. We have been working with Clackamas Street residents for two years, and our outreach partners are close by We also made weekly visits to the site and carried out six neighborhood cleaning activities together. Starts in 2022. Since 2022, the majority of residents have been housed and all are connected to housing resources. All applicants have had Coordinated Access to Housing assessments carried out and are nominally listed for housing if they are not already housed. Survival equipment and basic necessities were constantly provided. We will continue to work with remaining residents to find housing.

Although this county and region have more housing resources than ever before and we have significantly reduced homelessness in recent years, the reality is that our affordable housing, rental assistance, and housing system are still beyond capacity to meet current need. To the extent our resources allow, we will continue to use every available resource to meet the needs of the many community members experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.