Grants Pass

Homeless people in Grants Pass now have more options for legally camping in the city.

Volunteers in Grants Pass ventured into the cold for the annual Point in Time Count, gathering data on homelessness to help determine federal funding and support services for the unhoused community.

Months after its Supreme Court win, Grants Pass faces a new lawsuit claiming its homeless policies violate Oregon state law and discriminate against people with disabilities.

On Friday morning, homeless residents dragged tarps and carried piles on their backs, heaping their belongings just outside the fence. They were given until 9 a.m. to get their possessions off the city-owned site.

In one of their first moves as a newly reconfigured board, the Josephine County commissioners unanimously decided to terminate the county’s lease with the Grants Pass Library. This puts the library’s near future in limbo.

Grants Pass made some big changes in its leadership this year, electing a new mayor and four new city council members. And in their first meeting those leaders sharply reduced camping opportunities for people experiencing homelessness.

Grants Pass School District removes two books from high school library. This marks the first time the district has removed challenged books from its libraries.

Despite some concerns from one Josephine County commissioner, the project recently got a chunk of money to add to a big state grant and other funding that cleared the path ahead.

Portland-based Disability Rights Oregon has sent two letters to Grants Pass officials, saying its new rules on homeless campsites violate federal and state law.

The city’s solution of two campsites has received criticism from a variety of groups.