A lawsuit filed by Disability Rights Oregon had temporarily blocked Grants Pass from clearing some park encampments. The temporary injunction was lifted after settlement was reached Thursday, Aug. 14.
Residents at both parks received notices Saturday, Aug. 16, ordering them to leave the property by Tuesday morning.
The campers were instructed to make their way to the three city-sanctioned sites downtown.
As part of the settlement, Grants Pass is required to ensure the sites have shade, drinkable water and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Grants Pass police officer Lucas Six arrived at Kesterson Park at 7 a.m. Tuesday. He said police could not guarantee residents would move to the provided sites, since leaving the city was also an option.
“They have their own rights as citizens,” he said. “They can choose to leave the area if they prefer.”
Moving from one site to the next is difficult for many residents.
Tess Rightbower, who moved to Kesterson Park in June after Lawnridge Park was swept, said residents were at risk of losing everything they owned if they couldn’t move it all in one trip.
“We have one of us stay because if we leave our stuff for a minute, it’s gonna be gone,” she said. “It makes it really hard to move.”
The notice at Kesterson Park warned that unattended property “will be considered abandoned and disposed of.” Community safety officers loaded abandoned tents into trucks to be carried off while other residents continued packing on the other side of the park.
Alyssa Morlan, a Baker Park resident, said she’s been homeless for four years, and the situation has only gotten worse.
“I’m 32, and I’ve been here my entire life,” she said. “I’ve never seen it this bad.”
Dan Dhondt, who has owned property in Grants Pass for more than 20 years, said local and state officials need to take a more proactive stance on Oregon's escalating homelessness crisis.
“I don’t care if you’re a Democrat, a Republican, whatever,” he said. “This is just common sense and decency.”
The Grants Pass City Council is set to award a grant of more than $1.2 million to an organization that will carry out the settlement terms. The council is weighing four applicants and has its next workshop scheduled for Sept. 2.
