Company hired to clean up homeless camps

By Terry Murry on Thursday, February 9th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON – The Pendleton City Council has approved hiring EBC Services of Halfway to handle cleaning up the detritus that remains after law enforcement clears out homeless camps. Previously, that work has been primarily done by Pendleton Parks and Recreation.

City Manager Robb Corbett says parks and rec is short staffed and he added that the waste at such camps can be hazardous and should be cleared away by trained workers. The company has already performed homeless camp cleanup for Pendleton along the railroad on Frazer Avenue, at the Westgate bridge area, and various other small camps. The company has employees and equipment in Pendleton already.

Corbett said that the city also wants EBC to deter people from using the same locations over and over again. Brush is being removed to eliminate hiding places.

“People are finding locations where they can hide and stay for an extended period of time,” he said. “We’re taking steps to be proactive and eliminate those hiding spots.”

Gov. Tina Kotek has made addressing the root causes of homelessness her top priority. Corbett says the plan to clean up camps in no way goes to the root cause, and he’s eager to see what the governor plans.

“We’re hopeful that we’re going to see some proactive response from the state that’s going to help us all with this problem,” he said. “It’s a problem that every community is dealing with.”