Trump’s move to evict homeless Oregonians from forest is flashpoint for America’s failure to solve homelessness. Advocates warn of mass displacement and potential police violence.

On May 1st, nearly 100 homeless Oregonians will be forcibly evicted by the Trump Administration, setting the stage for possibly the largest federal eviction of a homeless community in recent history.

Below are 3 things you can do right now to support people living in the forest

Tomorrow’s eviction is a flashpoint for America’s failure to solve homelessness.

This eviction comes amid a nationwide increase in homelessness caused primarily by the worsening housing crisis. As we speak, the Trump administration is pushing through cuts and policy changes that will make homelessness worse while threatening to force homeless people into government-run detention camps. And, of course, this eviction comes 10 months after the shameful Grants Pass decision. Since that ruling, over 150 cities have passed laws that make it illegal to be homeless but do not help anybody.

Hear from Chris, whose family has lived in Bend for three generations.

“My very first job was framing houses – you could say my family and I literally helped build this town. But now? There’s no way I could afford to buy a place here. Anyone could be just one missed paycheck, one slip on the ladder, or one sick day away from losing everything. Bend used to feel like a more accepting place. Just because we’re living out here doesn’t make us bad people, but the way we’re being treated makes everything that much harder. It’s incredibly difficult to get back on your feet once you’ve been knocked down. If they force us out on May 1st, we still won’t have anywhere else to go. It’ll just make it even tougher for us to rebuild our lives,” said Chris Daggett, who currently lives in the Deschutes Forest.

Evictions and raids make homelessness worse, housing is the solution

As is true whenever governments displace communities, this traumatic eviction will make homelessness worse by severing ties with services, exacerbating health conditions, destroying communities, and wasting resources. Nobody wants to experience homelessness. Living in the forest is the last resort for people fleeing abuse, who can’t afford rising rents or struggle to make ends meet with jobs that don’t pay enough.  Instead of forcing people into another forest or into town, politicians should move people into housing.

This harmful eviction comes as the Trump administration proposes cuts and policy changes that will make homelessness worse, and amid threats to force homeless people into government-run detention camps. Following last summer’s Grants Pass ruling, over 150 cities have passed laws that make it illegal to be homeless and do not help anybody.

Forest residents face increasing threats as fear grows

“Everybody needs a safe place to live, and those of us living in the forest are trying our best to survive. People I care about are facing the unimaginable: losing everything they own or risking one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. I’ve seen the fear in their eyes, the sleepless nights, the sheer desperation. The constant patrols and threats have created an atmosphere of terror. People are afraid to even step outside their camps, paralyzed by the stress of potential tickets and further harassment. A Forest Service officer told me that the closer it got to the deadline, the worse it would get for us. He has also made statements to other campers that they will be arrested and their belongings burned if they remain past the deadline. That’s not a warning; it’s a threat. The stress is palpable. This eviction won’t just displace people; it will destroy lives. Since shelters are full and housing is too expensive, we will still have no choice but to sleep outside. Sleeping unsheltered in the Central Oregon winter is a death sentence. Where else do they want us to go?” said Mandy Bryant, who currently lives Deschutes Forest.

“It never should have come to this” said Chuck Hemingway, a retired attorney who is advocating on behalf of Forest residents and who filed claims to stop the eviction on both environmental review and disability grounds. “Instead of battling this out in court, wasting taxpayer money and government resources, the Trump administration should fund the housing and support that are proven to solve homelessness. Nobody wants to be out here, living in the forest. They were forced into homelessness by out-of-control housing costs, the COVID-19 pandemic, and wages that are just too low.”

This eviction is a waste of government resources that will displace communities and push homeless people into other cities and forests while doing nothing to address the growing lack of housing that people can afford.

This eviction increases pressure on local governments  

Sadly, this is consistent with Trump’s policies to make homelessness worse. And, like most of his policies, this eviction hurts us all, but hurts Black, brown, immigrant, queer and disabled folks the worst. This eviction comes during a massive increase in backwards, anti-homeless laws that are deeply unpopular, do nothing to help people, and make homelessness worse. In fact, through this eviction, the Trump administration will put even more pressure on the local and state government by pushing more homeless people into surrounding cities, while cutting funding for the very housing and supportive services needed to address the crisis.

We need housing, not handcuffs.

We need leaders to solve the root cause of homelessness- the lack of housing and healthcare that people can afford- not wasting time and money kicking people from encampment to encampment and making homelessness worse. When we evict encampments, we waste money, destroy communities, and make it harder to move folks into housing. But when we address the root cause of homelessness – the lack of housing that people can afford- we build a healthier, safer, and more just society.

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