Neighbors For A Better Pendleton ask for quicker answers to homeless issues

PENDLETON – A group of business owners and citizens from Pendleton first met with the Pendleton City Council in early August. They expressed concerns, suggested solutions, and have since been attending meetings designed to address the many problems that arise from homelessness.

Recently, the group issued a news release calling for the city to move faster on some of those elements. That news release can be found at Neighbors For A Better Pendleton urges city to move faster on homeless issues – Elkhorn Media Group.

One issue the group feels could be addressed quickly is its call to refrain from centering any new services for the homeless in the downtown corridor. Pat Gregg and Chris Cockburn from the organization stressed that they don’t mean moving agencies that already exist. They just ask that others be located elsewhere.

“When we have services heavily clustered in one small area, in particular the downtown core, it has negative impacts on safety and sanitation,” Gregg said.

They both pointed out that Pendleton’s economy relies heavily on tourism and therefore it’s important to keep the downtown safe and clean.

Gregg and Cockburn were guests on the KUMA Coffee Hour Thursday, Dec. 4. They talked in depth about their concerns and possible solutions. The podcast can be found at Coffee Hour Podcast clips – Omny.fm.

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Elkhorn Media Group