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Hazelnut Grove

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Hazelnut Grove
Homeless encampment
Official logo of Hazelnut Grove
Logo
Hazelnut Grove is located in Oregon
Hazelnut Grove
Hazelnut Grove
Coordinates: 45°32′45″N 122°40′46″W / 45.5457146°N 122.6795076°W / 45.5457146; -122.6795076
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyMultnomah
CityPortland
Founded2015
Population
 (2021)
 • Total16

Hazelnut Grove is an organized homeless community located in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2015, and since its inception, has survived several attempts to disband or relocate the community. It is recognized and supported by the city government.

The village acts as a transitional neighborhood for people seeking permanent housing.

Location

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The community first came together following the Occupy Portland protests in 2011. They relocated several times, finally settling on a plot of land in October 2015.[1]

The community exists at the intersection of North Greeley and Interstate avenues. It is considered part of the Overlook neighborhood in North Portland. It was originally located on a matrix of publicly and privately owned land.[2] It was later fully contained on land owned by the Portland Bureau of Transportation.[3]

The camp lies at the bottom of a steep bluff, and some have cited difficulties with emergency access as being a priority reason for relocation.[4]

History

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Campers have used the site for years before Hazelnut Grove was established.[5] The camp began to grow in 2015, and as a result, became more conspicuous. The Oregon Department of Transportation subsequently issued eviction notices to residents. The residents began to organize and appealed to the city.[2] Their appeal was successful, and Mayor Charlie Hales agreed to provide the campers with land, trash service, and restroom facilities, conditional on no further laws being broken.[2][6]

Since the inception of the camp, the Overlook Neighborhood Association (OKNA) had sought its relocation. City-led mediation talks between the OKNA and Hazelnut Grove residents were not productive.[7] The OKNA had previously requested a public list of campers living in the community from the city to perform background checks,[8] and in 2016, joined a lawsuit against the city pertaining to homeless tolerance.[9] The OKNA later tried to prevent campers from attending neighborhood meetings, but desisted after the city threatened to cease recognizing OKNA as an organization.[10]

By 2016, there were 30 residents. In addition to tents, tiny houses and sleeping pods had been constructed. Amenities such as walking paths, drainage, and shared dining spaces were also created. The city also installed fencing for the community. Donations helped to fund many of these projects.[4] Other community resources soon followed, such as a library, garden, and tool shed.[1]

In 2017, Portland Fire & Rescue began to provide residents with fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and performed safety inspections. They also worked to clear all brush within 20 feet of the village, reducing the risk of fire to the site.[3]

In 2018, the city planned to move the community to a shelter in St. Johns, citing the current location between a hill and a busy road as being dangerous. That year, a representative of the mayor's office stated that the city had spent $52,000 supplying the camp with amenities.[11] The timeline for relocation was pushed back to late 2019.[12] It never fully materialized, as city planners realized there was not enough space to support the population.[1]

In 2021, there were 16 full-time residents. It was estimated that services cost the city $1,500 a month.[13] In January, the city announced that it would cut-off services, such as trash pickup and portable toilet facilities, from the community. They claimed that environmental hazards were too big of a risk to keep the site inhabited. Residents were to move to a new sanctioned encampment in St. Johns, called St. Johns Village.[1] By February, the city decided to continue providing services to Hazelnut Grove. Although they cut funding to landscaping, storage, and fencing services, the city continued to provide sanitary stations and trash pickup. The mayor's office stated that those services would remain for as long as residents continued to camp there.[14]

Some Hazelnut Grove residents have chosen to relocate to St. Johns Village.[14] Between 2015 and 2021, 40 campers had transitioned to permanent housing.[1]

As of 2022, the village has continued to be occupied.[15]

One of Portland's two converted shipping containers offering safe day storage for homeless residents is located at and managed by the Hazelnut Grove camp.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Zielinski, Alex (22 January 2021). "With Hazelnut Grove Set to Close, City Looks to Expand Village-Style Shelter Options". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Theen, Andrew (23 October 2015). "A 3rd Portland homeless camp? Welcome to Hazelnut Grove". OregonLive. The Oregonian. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b Sparling, Zane (17 February 2021). "Portland mayor to halt funding for Hazelnut Grove homeless". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b Swindler, Samantha (27 July 2016). "A village, not a warehouse, to solve homelessness". OregonLive. The Oregonian. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  5. ^ Wentz-Graff, Kristyna (17 September 2015). "Organizers looking to bring services to homeless tent camp on North Greeley". OregonLive. The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 26 October 2015.
  6. ^ Hutzler, Coby (8 December 2015). "A Tale of Two Tent Cities". Willamette Week. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  7. ^ Pitawanich, Christine (13 March 2017). "Homeless celebrate upgrades at Hazelnut Grove, but neighbors voice concerns". KGW8. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  8. ^ Vanderhart, Dirk (17 December 2015). "Overlook Neighbors Will Demand A Public List of Everyone Camping at Hazelnut Grove". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  9. ^ "OKNA joins lawsuit against City of Portland over homeless camping – Overlook Neighborhood Association". Overlook Neighborhood Association. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  10. ^ Vanderhart, Dirk (12 August 2017). "City Threatens to Cease Recognizing Neighborhood Association Considering Homeless Discrimination Bylaw". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  11. ^ Vespa, Maggie (25 October 2018). "Hazelnut Grove homeless village may move to St. Johns neighborhood". KGW8. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  12. ^ Harbarger, Molly (11 April 2019). "St. Johns church offers an alternative site for relocating homeless camp". OregonLive. The Oregonian. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  13. ^ Sparling, Zane (20 January 2021). "City closing North Portland homeless village Hazelnut Grove". KOIN6. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  14. ^ a b Ellis, Rebecca (20 February 2021). "After talk of 'critical breakthrough' on Hazelnut Grove, city provides few details". Oregon Public Broadcast. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Mayor releases details on plan to address unsanctioned homeless camping across Portland". City of Portland. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  16. ^ "City Day Storage Program". KATU2. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
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