I am writing to provide information and background about what a “managed camp” would look like, whether at Ninth Street near Bear Creek Elementary and Bend Senior High School or elsewhere.

Those of us in the community familiar with how such “camps” operate don’t call them by that term. We refer to them as “villages.” A village brings to mind a small grouping of structures and people who live together in community.

This is the vision of Central Oregon Villages, a nonprofit that is partnering with SquareOne Vilages of Eugene and the First United Methodist Church of Bend. SquareOne since 2013 has operated Opportunity Village in Eugene and has agreed to come to Bend and create with us a similar village here.

This is not taking what you now see on Hunnell Road and moving it to a neighborhood near you, like near Bear Creek Elementary or elsewhere.

We seek to provide a safe, secure place to live for those who have been experiencing homelessness and who are willing to work with us to once again become housed in permanent housing.

So we will be asking the city to allow us to open, manage and operate one or more planned “villages” to provide shelter to those unhoused.

There have been many questions and comments posed on social media and sites like Next door. Sometimes the information is accurate, most times not. Should we be selected by the city to operate a village, here are some answers to questions that have been posed as well as some additional information.

First, the village will be small — it will have about 20 alternative shelter units, no tents. All these shelter units will be attractive and will fit in visually with the general appearance of houses in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Second, the village will be fenced. The fence will be about eight-feet high with webbing so that those passing by outside won’t be able to see inside and the privacy of the residents inside will be protected.

Third, it will be a gated community. Just inside the gate will be a security shed staffed 24/7. At night the gate will be locked and in the morning it will be opened.

Fourth, should a person not a resident seek to come inside when the gate is open, the person will not be admitted unless they are coming to visit a resident or have some other preapproved reason to be on premises. They will have to check in and while on the premises they will be escorted.

Fifth, villagers will serve overnight shifts in the security shed in return for the privilege of being a villager. No outsiders will be permitted inside once the gate is locked. Residents who work evening shifts will be permitted to leave for work or permitted to enter if they have been working and return to the village after the gate has been locked.

Sixth, there will be some shelter units set aside for families with children. Thus, while there might be neighborhood children walking to school (Bear Creek Elementary, as an example), those kids might well be joined by children who live in the village who will be coming out of the gate to walk with the other neighborhood kids on their way to school.

Seventh, there will be an oversight nonprofit (Central Oregon Villages, for example) that oversees the operations of the village. Case managers and other staff of the nonprofit will be on -site during the day. The oversight nonprofit will have standing arrangements with law enforcement, fire officials, medical teams, etc. to provide security, fire protection, medical assistance, etc., both during the day and overnight.

Eighth, we will be a low -barrier shelter for entry but with high expectations once accepted. Potential villagers will be interviewed, screened and vetted and will be required to agree to a criminal background check. No sex offenders will be allowed to reside in the village. There will also be no alcohol or other drugs allowed on the premises. Damaging property (like a port-a-potty or the property of another villager) stealing, fighting with another villager, allowing unauthorized persons in while on night shift, etc. also will not be tolerated.

Ninth, there will be other standing expectations for all villagers: Keep your shelter area neat and tidy, do your assigned chores, pay your monthly fees or engage in additional work beyond your assigned chores to pay off your monthly fees, meet with case managers and work with us on eliminating barriers that have kept you unhoused so you can get into permanent housing and move from the village.

Tenth, no itinerant individuals will be allowed to camp alongside the outer fence of the village. The outer perimeter will be kept clear of campers so that the villagers inside are not disturbed by itinerant campers and so the overall outer appearance of the village fits into the surrounding neighborhood.

This list could go on and on, but by now those reading this should be getting the idea.

Lastly, we want to be good neighbors. There will be a good neighbor agreement signed and implemented and villagers who violate it by causing problems for residents in the local neighborhood will be asked to leave the village.

Do you have a point you’d like to make or an issue you feel strongly about? Submit a letter to the editor or a guest column.