A bid to repeal a controversial state law that restricts how local governments manage homelessness and public camping was blocked in the Oregon House of Representatives Tuesday, despite intensifying concerns from southern Oregon lawmakers and communities about safety, crime, and livability.
House Bill 2432, which sought to repeal HB 3115—a 2021 law limiting cities’ and counties’ authority to regulate public camping—was brought to the floor by Representative Dwayne Yunker (R-Grants Pass). The motion to vote on the repeal failed after House Democrats voted in unison to block it, despite every Republican supporting it.
Representative Yunker, who represents parts of Josephine County, voiced frustration following the failed motion, saying the state is “handcuffing” local leaders trying to address a worsening homelessness and public safety crisis. “We don’t want people dying in our streets,” said Yunker. “HB 3115 is a failed experiment that tied the hands of local leaders.”
In Grants Pass, the epicenter of an ongoing legal battle over homelessness policies, the issue is particularly acute. The city recently lost a high-profile lawsuit—Johnson v. Grants Pass—that reaffirmed limitations on removing unhoused individuals from public spaces unless adequate shelter is available. Local officials argue this decision, combined with HB 3115, has severely restricted their ability to maintain clean and safe streets.
According to Yunker, the consequence of these combined policies is a growing number of homeless encampments in residential neighborhoods, increasing incidents of drug use in public, and heightened fear among residents. “The result is chaos—open drug use, rising crime, and families living in fear,” he said.
The stalled repeal has broad implications for rural communities like Grants Pass, which lack the infrastructure or resources to provide widespread emergency housing but bear the burden of state mandates prohibiting enforcement against illegal camping. City officials and law enforcement in Josephine County have long complained that HB 3115 forces them into an untenable position—unable to act while their communities suffer the consequences.
Josephine County residents, many of whom have voiced growing concerns at public meetings, say the issue is not just about homelessness but about livability, public health, and economic stability. Business owners in downtown Grants Pass have cited safety concerns, vandalism, and a loss of customers due to encampments and substance use in visible public areas.
Representative Ed Diehl (R-Stayton), who co-sponsored the repeal effort, echoed Yunker’s sentiments, stating that Oregon’s current policies are fueling a “doom loop” of decline. “We must give our communities the tools to fight back—while there is still time to save them,” said Diehl.
At a recent roundtable held by the House Economic Development Committee in Portland, business owners across the state described broken windows, shuttered storefronts, and employee safety fears as common consequences of Oregon’s permissive stance on public camping.
Yunker pointed to a broader pattern of misplaced priorities in the state government, criticizing what he described as excessive funding for homelessness nonprofits without meaningful results. “Oregon has become the most comfortable place in the nation to be a criminal or drug addict, and we’re attracting more by the day,” he said.
The rejection of HB 2432 highlights a deepening ideological rift in Salem between urban liberal lawmakers and rural conservatives—each with different views on how best to address homelessness. While Democrats have defended HB 3115 as a humane response to a humanitarian crisis, Republicans argue the law creates ungovernable conditions in communities that lack the means to implement the state’s vision.
In Josephine County, where patience is wearing thin and pressure is mounting on local leaders, the lack of action may only escalate tensions. With the Legislature at a stalemate, some residents and officials are beginning to discuss legal challenges, ballot measures, or even local-level civil disobedience to push for change.
For now, cities like Grants Pass remain caught in the crossfire of state policy and local reality. As summer approaches—bringing fire risk, increased tourism, and heightened visibility of the homeless crisis—residents are left to wonder: how much longer can southern Oregon wait for real solutions?