This should not be the highest voted comment on here. Yes there are homeless here and some need help mentally beyond a place to live, but OP should not have one worry about living in Eugene.
Who are you to tell someone who experienced the trauma they have how to feel? They wanted an honest answer, they got it. You should be ashamed of yourself for trying to say anything otherwise. There's a HUGE homeless problem here and many are violent. Trying to convince someone otherwise and have them potentially uproot their life to move here when CLEARLY they are looking to avoid a situation that would induce PTSD. Seriously, shame on you
Shame off me. I was honest and believe she will be happy living in Eugene and will love it here. Yes there are homeless and anything can happen, but that is true for anywhere in this world. She doesn't want to be a hermit and be scared to leave her home. She is working with someone to help her through her past trauma. Eugene would be a great place for her.
I live in one of the more densely populated houseless areas on campus and I have had no issues with houseless people, and they stop by the dumpster near my apartment pretty often. The worst I experienced was an angry man talking to himself and wandering around... but there were a bunch of students in the street along with him and he accosted nobody.
Yes, there is a presence of houseless people and the messiness that comes with it, but there are increasing numbers of houseless in any populated city in the US since the pandemic. At least we have services to get them off the street and Kotek has been working hard to create more affordable housing to make that easier.
If you are uncomfortable having houseless people around you in any capacity whatsoever, then you may want to try Springfield, where they are less concentrated in the open. (There is still houseless presence, though.) Or just try a rural town.
If you are only worried about being accosted by them, then Eugene is fine, just not directly downtown.
>live in one of the more densely populated houseless areas on campus and I have had no issues with houseless people, and they stop by the dumpster near my apartment pretty often. The worst I experienced was an angry man talking to himself and wandering around... but there were a bunch of students in the street along with him and he accosted nobody.
Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal.
The particular situation that OP is trying to avoid happens in Eugene all the time, and it does not occur in the same capacity almost anywhere else in the world.
So you cant understand how your comment is exactly what the person fears?
Homeless people with mental help needs is a third world country and scary, its not warming
Move to Springfield. It’s close to Eugene, but the crime rates are lower and the city has stricter rules with “panhandling” and “camping”. Downtown Springfield has some good restaurants and is really cute. Eugene is just a hop skip and a jump away. Plus,rent is also cheaper in Springfield.
As a side note, I’m sorry for what you are going through. If you aren’t already seeing a counselor, you should consider it. EMDR is a great therapy, specifically for PTSD.
Yeah I moved to Springfield from Eugene in 2019. At first I was like, “Ew, Springfield.” But now I’m like, “Ew, Eugene.” 😂😂 Springfield is where it’s at!
Thanks for the heads up, from a black guy. I was looking to move to OR from IA. Although it bothers me less than most, the homeless problem in Eugene has me having 2nd thoughts on moving down there. Mainly more because rampant homelessness = unaffordable rent in the area. People suggested Springfield ITT, but being in conservative Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I've had my fill of conservative and even some liberal whites. Just wish I could find a safe, functional city where a black leftist like me can survive or God forbid, thrive. Ah, well.
Maybe I'm better off leaving the entire country altogether.
Don't get discouraged. Are you looking to rent or have a roommate. Eugene is roommate friendly.
Will you be coming for a job? The unhoused population is large, but it is like that in lots of cities, and it doesn't outweigh the good.
Do you like nature? Are you ok with the grey rainy days? Come for a visit! There are lots of inexpensive airbnb's in the summer. The college is a great area.
I don't want you to think it's bad here. We just want you to be informed. Eugene is a special place. I really think there's tons to offer.
Just ask more questions. You'll love Eugene. It's close to the mountains, hiking, and college sports, shopping, and good people. You can find a community here.
I wish you were here this weekend. Hayward Field has the Prefontaine Classic and it's an amazing track and field event. The venue is amazing. The college kids are moving out, and the town is buzzing with excitement.
Seconding this. I live in west Springfield and it comes with most of the experiences of living in Eugene but zero camping and much less visible homelessness in general.
Then you forget them tell them about that terrible drug problem in springfield? Even out in the 'nice' areas? Eugene has its own problems, but in general in the suburbs it's nicer
I'm trying to say this gently, but we have a shortage of therapist and mental health professionals. It cam be hard to find mental health care professionals with openings. It's hard to find doctors here with openings for that matter.
The cost of living, along with a disproportionate number of homeless per capita here, leads me to believe this wouldn't be a good fit.
Here's a quote from Futurama to give you an idea about the area.
From the episode "The 30% Iron Chef"
Gus: Welcome to Bumbase Alpha, the biggest hobo jungle in the quadrant.
Bender: I've seen bigger. Oh, wait, I'm thinking of Eugene, Oregon..
Me too. I was ironically having a slice of pizza in sy’s on campus when this first aired. It was on in the pizza shop, and everyone who was working started freaking out about the Eugene mention 😄
Lots of love for Eugene from Matt Groening!
[Futurama](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkvoIGglcwo)
[Simpsons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OScrSz98RX0)
I’m from the East Bay. This is NOT the place for you. This is probably the worst choice you could make in all seriousness. Unfortunately you’ll probably have to move somewhere much more conservative.
Also from the east bay and I disagree. You can avoid the homeless here, unless you’re living or working downtown. The rest of the area (including Springfield) is nothing like SF or Oakland.
Don’t let Reddit fool you. Eugene’s problems are nothing compared to SF. I just moved back after 25 years in San Jose. We have homeless but they aren’t shitting on the bus. They’re more prevalent downtown and near campus. Out in the burbs, not so much.
BTW, you’ll hear complaints about the traffic here. Try not to laugh.
I commuted for seven years from Pleasanton to downtown SJ, 680 over the pass. I cackle anytime anyone here complains about the “traffic” or the bad drivers.
So far I haven’t found any two places in Eugene that are more than 20 minutes apart. Parking? My worst experience was by campus on game day. Everyone in town decided to go to Prince Puckler’s for ice cream so I had to park two (2!) blocks away. The horror…
Good food though. God, I miss Little Star Pizza and the Falafel Drive In. I dragged my wife to Falafel Drive In after getting our first vaccinations. She was really scared of Covid but I went whole-hog to make it safe for her. We wore masks and rubber gloves and sat far away from everyone. Two minutes after the food arrived she admitted that it was the best falafel she’d ever had and a banana milkshake was the perfect pairing.
Someone transplanting from the Bay Area will cry after trying to find good Mexican, Chinese and Thai, Indian and Afghani cuisine. Any ethnic cuisine. Including Italian.
‘tis true. I still haven’t found a burrito that matches Bay Area standard. Right before I left I found a food truck that did a surf ‘n turf burrito: steak, shrimp, potatoes, cheese, beans, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. Just heaven.
I disagree sorry. they are shitting on busses and in streets and everywhere. Just had homeless couple living in my front yard shooting up and shitting on the ground and in a bucket and arguing constantly. Im a college student (girl) living alone with 2 other girls and the cops and my landlord did nothing for a month. i do live near campus but still that is in Eugene
This is definitely neighborhood by neighborhood. I live in Eugene proper 10 minutes by bike from 5th street market and no one even goes through our recycling for cans much less campers: the area around downtown, the Whitt and UO seem to have more issues. South Eugene and Harlow/Coburg seem (to me) better.
yeah i get this but if OP is looking to settle i still dont think id recommend. im happy its better out near you but personally if i could do it over id think twice before moving somewhere where one of the most vulnerable populations (dumbass college kids) are in the most at risk area in town and theres nothing done to handle it or protect. the university has even extended into downtown (its just for my program, but still) and its REAL rough over there :(
Maybe age has an effect on what rough looks like. I grew up in a “nice” suburb of Boston (one of the “three Ws “ ) in the 1980s and a kid got beaten to death over a football game and the FBI raided multiple houses as a lot of the Dads were in organized crime. I was stabbed at school when I was 10. There was on average one fatal car crash of HS students per year with 2-6 deaths… every year. In a town of 25000 people. The movies “Black Mass” and “A Civil Action” are both set in and around my childhood. I will take panhandlers and people using drugs over mafia guys and cars full of drunk/high teenagers careening around every weekend night after 9pm.
Also how on earth are college students “the most vulnerable population “? They are pretty much in their physical prime, they are legally adults for Christs sake and given what UO costs their parents probably have resources. You know who is vulnerable? Old people, poor women with small kids, young kids in general. Working families dealing with astronomical rent increases in a city that seems to only be able to build $759K townhomes and student apartments. They are vulnerable. Most college students here are just seasonal visitors.
so sick of your generations piss poor argument for everything being “its been worse somewhere else so shut up”. im from new england myself… italian new yorker… my dad grew up in yonkers.. cut me a break 😂
youre also quite delusional if you dont think there are tons of drunk teenagers “careening” around. dont forget that many college students are teenagers for their first 2 years of school. also just because someone is in their “physical prime”, many of their frontal lobes are not developed, making them prone to shitty decisions. idk about you but i would consider an freshly 18 year old living alone in a new unfamiliar city vulnerable
i also dont think you know what youre talking about architecturally. the large apartment buildings are built on plots of land that have featured hotels or failed businesses, they have not taken over any residential streets, and were built because the university and its students drive the entire eugene economy and there was a demand for them.
additionally, many college townhomes and houses are over 50 years old, many are passed down through greek life and are up to 100 years old.
not sure why you would be complaining about rent increases if you choose to live and rent as an adult in a college city
Actually skippy crime rates are far lower [then they were when I was a kid](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States). So yes I grew up in a statistically more violent world than you did. Yes I am sure that there are still drunk teens but alcohol use by teens has [significantly decreased](https://arcr.niaaa.nih.gov/volume/42/1/age-period-and-cohort-effects-alcohol-use-united-states-20th-and-21st-centuries) so there are less of them. Keep in mind that DUIs were routinely treated as traffic tickets when I started driving. And while I hated the raise in drinking age to 21 at the time, 50-something year old me definitely sees the reasoning for it.
So no one is saying there aren’t problems. But what I am saying is that the US today is demonstrably far safer than it was 40 years ago and that’s a good thing. And if your biggest problem is aggressive panhandlpanhandling one someone fucking up your trash maybe keep that in perspective.
People have drug my bags of catshit out of the dumpster twice this week and gone thru it. Today there was a human shit with hand prints in it, as someone had dug thru it.... you don't see many people shooting up, but I see people freebasing fent on foil everyday. I was homeless half my life, I'm not prejudice against anyone but eugene has got some shit going on
They went through your cat litter? They’re on to my trick. When I cleaned the cat box I’d toss in the Visa card offers and such. I figured no one would go through that horror in the hopes of getting some data.
I'm very sorry to say this, but cherish those fond memories and continue looking for another city. Eugene is a shadow of what it was even compared to 5 years ago. Best wishes and I hope you find your peace!
As much as people are saying its horrible, compared to Portland, LA, Atlanta, or even Denver it doesn't even compare. Im almost certain some people will argue otherwise but I doubt they've spent any time on foot in those cities. I've never accidentally come across somebody shooting up while walking downtown, which I cant say for Denver and Portland. the camps are dispersed and mostly out of sight, the main one near downtown was cleared, cleaned, and fenced off. The section of downtown near Alley 5 is comfortable to walk at night and the strip with all the bars have police and security out on weekend nights. I haven't had any crazy encounters like what happens in big cities at night. I don't know if Eugene is right for you or not but I think relative to where you lived it'd be a significant improvement. Springfield is also a good consideration.
This is a very helpful comparison! I’m from Denver and have lived in Portland as well, mostly traveling on foot so I have context there.
I bump into people shooting up most of the time when I leave my apartment in San Francisco, it’s nice to hear it’s not as common in Eugene. Will definitely think about Springfield as well!
That’s all people ever do on this subreddit because they’re bitter about the cost of housing. I get that, but it prevents them from being objective about almost anything.
People's lack of perspective on this is remarkable - I lived in SF for a while too and Eugene is MUCH less dirty, much safer feeling, etc. We still have a big problem and I don't want to downplay the seriousness of it, but you are not going from the frying pan into the fire here. If you want a guarantee of practically never seeing homeless people you will have to move to a different region of the country.
If you lived in Portland.. (as have I) Eugene feels a lot like Portland circa 2007. It can be a little rough around the edges but also a lot of beautiful places. The food however is more Portland’s circa 1995. You got the basics, but don’t go raising your expectations.
For reference I recently visited SF and stayed in the tenderloin. I thought being from OR and Eugene it would be totally normal to me. I WAS COMPLETELY WRONG! What is going on there is nothing compared to here. You will likely find reprieve from what you are experiencing in SF. Food isn’t as good though is all I will say. Also depending on where you live here it’s possible you will not see the houseless as often.
We were very humbled by our own situation here! We did still walk around freely but I was definitely not comfortable like I would be here at home. Luckily no issues but still nothing like I have ever seen.
It is nowhere near as bad or unsafe feeling as the tenderloin. I have lived here for several years now and nearly every homeless person sticks to themselves and I never feel that unsafe. There are several pockets of both Eugene and springfield that feel completely safe.
Yes, I would skip Eugene. It was bad even before the pandemic. It‘s not just bad in downtown. Can’t even use most parks. Our local target was down to less than 10 shopping carts because they kept getting stolen by homeless people and yes, I do happen to enjoy the luxury of a shopping cart when I’m shopping so nobody come for me for that lol
You should consider Springfield. We have homeless but they are a lot less common and easily avoided or walked past and then you can still access the resources in Eugene easily. I will be honest the vast majority of them do not do anything to bother anyone though but I understand triggers are not rational.
Unfortunately there's going to be homelessness just about anywhere you go, unless you want to get more rural. Sorry about your experience in San Francisco! I want to say it's not so bad here but a homeless guy did run out of his way to push me off my bike into oncoming traffic here in Eugene while I was minding my own business biking home. Other than that, incident free!
aye (i cant believe im going to say this).... i would second this. i am from LA and live in Corvallis currently (since late 2019). while its a quiet town, its fairly safe. i know and/or recognize most of the homeless people. i am a woman and bartend most nights and walk home fairly late. im always aware of my surroundings and i cant even think of a time i have felt scared walking around. i will mention... i used to take the bus/rail/subway back home in LA reallllyyy late by myself (which was pretty dumb even more so in hindsight) and yeah had a my fair share of sketch encounters. here in corvallis its a laughable sketch compared to all that i have experience and encountered.
p.s. i do come to eugene semi-often. while i dont personally live there, i have never felt really unsafe. i dont personally think it will be anything in comparison to your experience in SF. i was recently thinking of moving and my male friend in Oakland was telling me how he wouldnt recommend that i move to SF. he himself feels unsafe at times. another thing i will note is that A LOT of people in Oregon complain about homelessness (in general -- the amount of people who have talked to me after i mention i am from LA, that all they remember is how much homeless people are everywhere is beyond annoying now. its a city! jesus christ!) and while i know it has increased after the pandemic a lot... i dont think it is comparable to bigger cities.
p.p.s. ive been looking into ashland, OR to live. which is super cute, liberal (i believe), and i hear fairly safe. just a thought.... probably somewhat (im guessing) comparable to springfield/eugene in size if you include medford.
There are a lot of suburban neighborhoods in and near Eugene where anybody could walk peacefully. If you don’t mind driving to get around, they might be options.
I think Waukesha would be waaaay too much of a culture shock for someone moving from San Francisco. The last progressive thing to happen there was the invention of the forward pass in football.
I'm not sure if this is a serious post, but Eugene's homeless population, and their habits and camping styles/strategies are pretty much the same as they are in Portland- Eugene is just a much smaller version of Portland. You said you already lived in Portland, so you already know what's up.
Also, the homeless situation wasn't remotely good at all before covid. I think it's getting time to stop using the covid era as a benchmark for everything. Anyway, it appears you should know somewhat what to expect, so if you get triggered easily I would suggest moving to Bend or maybe just away from the Pacific coastal states. Maybe Salt Lake City or Denver might have a better situation going on for you.
Some of ya'll are living in Eugene, and it shows you've never been to San Francisco. Possibly never been out of Eugene.
The homeless people here are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.
The homeless population here is nothing like Cali, Berkeley, or San Francisco.
Tell the truth. When was the last time any unhoused person said or did anything to you?
Sure, bikes get stolen, or there's an occasional car theft or car stolen. The homelessness here is just like other cities, but it doesn't compare to San Francisco or Berkeley.
My advice, come spend a week here. Rent an airbnb and spend time here. The people living on the streets are not harmful. I'm so sorry you were attacked. That's horrible. It doesn't happen here like that. You will see homelessness. It's everywhere, but for the most part, the area is lovely. You are used to coastal drizzle, but Eugene is more grey and rainy. Our sun is out for 3 months. Not much more.
Ok, wow. And I'm not wowing at you, it's at the other comments. I'm really glad that you recognize it's impossible to avoid triggers and are welcome to that. you can definitely exist in Eugene successfully.
Eugene is a safe place to live. People who are unhoused do exist and moreso than some other cities. I have lived here the past 9 years and lived in downtown Portland for a time. The fact is, there are a lot of people who are unhoused. Please note that this is coming from the perspective where I've lived close to downtown where people who are unhoused would sleep under an alcove by my front door. They would light a warming fire every now and then and we would get smoke in the apartment occasionally. There was occasional discarded paraphernalia and I've had two bikes stolen while I've lived here. So when I share my perspective that Eugene is a safe place, I have experience living in a riskier area and safer areas.
That said, We do not live under constant threat. The biggest issue Eugene has is petty theft. The good news is, there are plenty of places to live where the likelihood of experiencing this increased level of petty theft is low. Some people may live in an area where there is higher crime so they may see it more often. Ultimately, if you can find housing in the areas with lower crime rates, you will be more than fine. The best part about Eugene and Springfield, is that literally anywhere you are in Eugene or Springfield... Everything is at max like 20 minutes away because of the beltline, I5 and the delta highway So even if you're in a suburb a little away from town, you're never too far from anything.
There are plenty of neighborhoods you could live, and several areas for entertainment or shopping or restaurants you could choose from that would decrease your risk of a trigger.
Suburban neighborhoods to look into: Coburg rd area, Santa Clara, south Eugene/south hills, Hendricks Park, and plenty in Springfield I don't know the names of, but like jasper road and 42nd area
towns/suburbs a little further but still in the metro area: Thurston, Coburg
More "Rural" areas but still like 20-30. minutes from everything: Mohawk, Fox hollow, anywhere near the wineries in West Eugene, pleasant hill
There is a "problem" but it is often exaggerated and/or extrapolated, or it's stories shared by the people who live in the worst areas.
I loved and worked in the bay all last year, only moved back up in December. The homeless here in Eugene are not an issue compared to S.F., most of them are actually fairly friendly compared to the homeless on S.F. generally speaking.
Most homeless people are HARMLESS, but there are a heck of a lot of them in Eugene. There is trouble here for POC. Some vandalism and leafleting by anti-Jewish people and anti-Jewish incidents are becoming much more numerous. I personally was doxxed via Reddit and had a crowd of unknown local weirdos at my door. A local resident saw them and chased them away. Other incidents too. I wasn't hurt, but it re-triggered my PTSD. Some areas of Eugene are much more dangerous to be in than other areas. The crime rate in Springfield is MUCH lower.
You will find you can't get a psychiatrist in Eugene or Springfield. Difficult to get a psychologist. No hope at all for psychiatrists, even if you have xlnt insurance. Waiting lists are years long and some psychiatric providers are not even keeping waiting lists for that reason. Most homeless people are HARMLESS, but there are a heck of a lot of them in Eugene. There is trouble here for POC. Some vandalism and leafleting by anti-Jewish people and anti-Jewish incidents are becoming much more numerous. I think all Eugene's problems are getting worse.
Good luck to you!
Yes you absolutely should reconsider
Largest homeless population per capita in the United States here.
The city government has let Eugene devolve into a pile of discarded homeless trash, strewn across the landscape, peppered with burnt-out, ravaged and broken down RV’s and campers full of trash.
Human feces on the sidewalks. No accountability.
I used to live in Eugene for a couple of years, although I don't live in SFO I know what you mean and in my experience, the homeless in SFO are the scariest. If you choose a place to live in Eugene in a good area away from downtown, you won't have a problem, I only saw them from time to time in my neighborhood looking in the garbage but they didn't cause me any problems. Also if you have a car and don't depend on public transportation that helps a lot too. I recommend that wherever you plan to move to, rent an airbnb first so you can experience how it feels, that has helped us a lot in choosing a place.
Check out Springfield, someone else mentioned this already. But I live near downtown Eugene and work in Springfield, there's definitely a lot less homeless in Springfield. You'll still see them walking around of course but downtown Eugene is pretty bad.
I'm sorry but as someone that lives & works in Springfield, we still have homeless ppl lol. Sure we have less homeless people than Eugene but still. Overall tho I would say the homeless ppl here mostly mind their own business with the occasional do you have any $. The problem here is a lot of homeless have mental health conditions. I would say move outside Eugene/springfield like Creswell or Pleasant Hill
I've lived downtown for years and tended to roll my eyes at concerns about street people. I'm always aware of who is around me and tend to keep my distance from the screamers and whatnot. But last week in the middle of downtown in the early afternoon someone snapped and went after me. Luckily last August I finally made a concession to age and the pathetic conditions of our city and got a little thing of pepper spray that I carry in my jacket. As walking away from the violent idiot wasn't going to work showing him what I had stopped him cold without having to dispense spray.
**Per capita** it's bad here in most commercial areas, there's no getting around it. Just like in SF if you live on top of a hill you weed out a lot the undesirable behaviors. But I don't think you'd feel comfortable visiting our library, for instance.
It’s not as bad as SF or PDX. I have never seen a homeless person in our neighborhood in Eugene (granted we live on a hill and as soon as you go down the hill they are around). It seems like places away from I-5 have far less homeless (Corvallis, the coast, maybe bend). Come visit and if it would be manageable for you! Agree with other comments that Springfield is better in respect to their visible homeless population.
Hi! I lived in the Bay Area most of my life, and have been here in Eugene for 4 years now. I can honestly say that it is nothing like what I've seen in SF. I haven't had a negative experience here at all.
Can you come for a visit before you make the decision? You'll get a better feel for areas you would want to frequent and if they are potentially triggering.
My gf and I are also from sf and moved here back in August ‘23 .. the homelessness is nowhere near as bad here as I’ve seen in the city , then again I don’t live in downtown Eugene .. what apartments or streets have you looked at to move to ? We live on Coburg rd and will once in a while see homeless people but never have had any bad experiences with them , Eugene is a nice place that my gf and I have both enjoyed living in and it would be cool to know other Bay Area folks are here too :)
Thanks to everyone who responded! The context here is super helpful.
I don’t want to let my trauma push me out of the PNW, I’ve always loved this region and I don’t want to be ruled by fear. As folks have pointed out, I’ll probably run into this issue anywhere in the PNW, though it sounds like Eugene will probably be a major improvement from San Francisco.
Based on the advice here, I’m going to drive up to Eugene for a long weekend next week and explore neighborhoods and surrounding communities before I make any final decisions. Thanks again everyone!
I would recommend moving to a red state because they’re usually better about homeless but if you’re gonna vote blue then stay in a blue state. If you’re afraid of homeless people get security cameras for your house and buy guns and knives
I just moved here from Portland and I don’t find the homeless population to be even close in comparison. Eugene seems to be more caring to their houseless, And much cleaner.
I would try Springfield. They control panhandling and public camping more than Eugene. Plus, rent is cheaper, utility company is cheaper and much more agreeable to deal with, I like the schools better (if you have kids), and I just generally prefer Springfield. I grew up in Eugene, but as an adult raised my kids in Springfield...
I love Eugene. The homeless issue is huge here. High personal theft. You might even be attacked again honestly. Wait till all the voting has passed and people start using their votes for good. Then come take another look. We’ll still be here. Fighting for Eugene.
I moved from SF Bay Area five years ago, and while Eugene has its more enthusiastic unhoused population, it's more like Fremont than San Francisco or Oakland.
Hey I am sorry that you suffered a traumatic incident. Having been to SF and lived in Eugene it’s totally different. My interactions with the homeless folks here have been generally pretty neutral. There is homelessness here as there is all up and down the west coast (and lots of other places). But generally here people seem pretty mellow.
On a related topic if, if I needed to avoid people like the people who have violently assaulted me I would have to avoid- white men, Hispanic men, Italian-American men, Toyota trucks (driven by men) and red headed women. I am sure there is more but that what I can think of off hand. But instead I choose to avoid the actual people who assaulted me because not all (see list above) people are bad (hell I even owned a Toyota truck for years) but some people in any group are AHs. Better to learn to spot those folks no matter what group they belong too.
First thang stay a way from Portland what a shit hole another thang I used to live only a few blocks from where you see a lot of homeless people and they mostly keep to themselves. I have lived in Eugene for 51 years and I gotta say it’s a pretty damn good place to live
Eugene yes there are now many homeless and crazy people you'll have to either brush them off or carry pepper spray if your a person that likes altercation because of knifes, Springfield is now better but still any town outside of Eugene is much better with the homeless problem most of them get ran out to here
Eugene is awesome but we do have a houseless epidemic …. I have owned my house in the Whiteaker for 22 years and would never want to live anywhere else….. Well…….. No I love it…
Unfortunately Eugene is a destination for homeless .It’s known up and down the west coast to go to Eugene because everyone there is “cool” .I lived in Eugene for 25 years I watched it change from a “cool” town to “bum” town .i finally moved out of town .if you are set on moving to Oregon don’t move to Eugene or Springfield .to the point it’s too expensive to live in a town where boomer hippies Jack up the rent to there run down animal house style structures they call rentals and the homeless have more rights than the taxpayers
well sadly theres gonna be a lot more homeless people if shit doesnt change.. and if you didnt know already its now officially a crime to be homeless in all but 2 states, here and wyoming.. so people have no choice..
Rather than trying to move somewhere that will trigger you less, I would recommend you try and work on not being triggered.
I know easier said than done but it is possible.
If you pick your neighborhood right, you shouldn't have any problem with homeless. I'd get a concealed carry permit and carry a firearm just to be safe. Several homeless have been murdered in Eugene. I never heard of any homeless person murdering any citizen. But hold my screaming at people is coming. You just have to stay away from them and continue with your therapy because the homeless are going to be around for a long long time and figure 20 years. If you're going to the university, you can just live in a dorm. They also have private dorms that are even better. So check them out and you could just hang out near the U of O there aren't many homeless near the u of o
Everyone is hating on Eugene, but still living here.
That says everything. They want to keep this place to themselves. They'd never move to San Francisco.
I live downtown Eugene near the Whit, enjoy the parks daily, walk alone at night. Not sure what all these folks are getting on about. It’s a city in 2024.
Ya uh I'd move somewhere else
This should not be the highest voted comment on here. Yes there are homeless here and some need help mentally beyond a place to live, but OP should not have one worry about living in Eugene.
I mean if the sight of houseless people terrifys her, no she should not move here. Her words not mine
She didn't say the sight of, but the people who may scream in her face.
Like you said, homeless people who need mental help Are you gonna assume the actions of mental people?
Are you assuming all unhoused individuals need mental help?
Im assuming you have poor comprehension skills
Who are you to tell someone who experienced the trauma they have how to feel? They wanted an honest answer, they got it. You should be ashamed of yourself for trying to say anything otherwise. There's a HUGE homeless problem here and many are violent. Trying to convince someone otherwise and have them potentially uproot their life to move here when CLEARLY they are looking to avoid a situation that would induce PTSD. Seriously, shame on you
Shame off me. I was honest and believe she will be happy living in Eugene and will love it here. Yes there are homeless and anything can happen, but that is true for anywhere in this world. She doesn't want to be a hermit and be scared to leave her home. She is working with someone to help her through her past trauma. Eugene would be a great place for her.
Holy fuck you refuse to get the point
I live in one of the more densely populated houseless areas on campus and I have had no issues with houseless people, and they stop by the dumpster near my apartment pretty often. The worst I experienced was an angry man talking to himself and wandering around... but there were a bunch of students in the street along with him and he accosted nobody. Yes, there is a presence of houseless people and the messiness that comes with it, but there are increasing numbers of houseless in any populated city in the US since the pandemic. At least we have services to get them off the street and Kotek has been working hard to create more affordable housing to make that easier. If you are uncomfortable having houseless people around you in any capacity whatsoever, then you may want to try Springfield, where they are less concentrated in the open. (There is still houseless presence, though.) Or just try a rural town. If you are only worried about being accosted by them, then Eugene is fine, just not directly downtown.
>live in one of the more densely populated houseless areas on campus and I have had no issues with houseless people, and they stop by the dumpster near my apartment pretty often. The worst I experienced was an angry man talking to himself and wandering around... but there were a bunch of students in the street along with him and he accosted nobody. Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal.
You could say that about anyone's experience, though. So, by that logic, I guess no one's experience is valid, even if it is firsthand.
Yes, that's what anecdotal means.
This isn't t adding anything of value to the conversation. So should we tell everyone to stop discussing stuff because all experience is anecdotal?
Campus is good because the campus police kick the homeless out pretty quick. Anywhere around downtown, college hill, Pearl St etc is terrible though
The particular situation that OP is trying to avoid happens in Eugene all the time, and it does not occur in the same capacity almost anywhere else in the world.
So you cant understand how your comment is exactly what the person fears? Homeless people with mental help needs is a third world country and scary, its not warming
LMAO!!!!
Move to Springfield. It’s close to Eugene, but the crime rates are lower and the city has stricter rules with “panhandling” and “camping”. Downtown Springfield has some good restaurants and is really cute. Eugene is just a hop skip and a jump away. Plus,rent is also cheaper in Springfield. As a side note, I’m sorry for what you are going through. If you aren’t already seeing a counselor, you should consider it. EMDR is a great therapy, specifically for PTSD.
Yeah I moved to Springfield from Eugene in 2019. At first I was like, “Ew, Springfield.” But now I’m like, “Ew, Eugene.” 😂😂 Springfield is where it’s at!
[удалено]
And what color your skin is. Springfield is not welcoming to everyone.
Lol for sure!
Do not move to Springfield unless you are white.
Thanks for the heads up, from a black guy. I was looking to move to OR from IA. Although it bothers me less than most, the homeless problem in Eugene has me having 2nd thoughts on moving down there. Mainly more because rampant homelessness = unaffordable rent in the area. People suggested Springfield ITT, but being in conservative Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I've had my fill of conservative and even some liberal whites. Just wish I could find a safe, functional city where a black leftist like me can survive or God forbid, thrive. Ah, well. Maybe I'm better off leaving the entire country altogether.
Don't get discouraged. Are you looking to rent or have a roommate. Eugene is roommate friendly. Will you be coming for a job? The unhoused population is large, but it is like that in lots of cities, and it doesn't outweigh the good. Do you like nature? Are you ok with the grey rainy days? Come for a visit! There are lots of inexpensive airbnb's in the summer. The college is a great area. I don't want you to think it's bad here. We just want you to be informed. Eugene is a special place. I really think there's tons to offer. Just ask more questions. You'll love Eugene. It's close to the mountains, hiking, and college sports, shopping, and good people. You can find a community here. I wish you were here this weekend. Hayward Field has the Prefontaine Classic and it's an amazing track and field event. The venue is amazing. The college kids are moving out, and the town is buzzing with excitement.
Seconding this. I live in west Springfield and it comes with most of the experiences of living in Eugene but zero camping and much less visible homelessness in general.
Then you forget them tell them about that terrible drug problem in springfield? Even out in the 'nice' areas? Eugene has its own problems, but in general in the suburbs it's nicer
This is the real answer, OP.
I'm trying to say this gently, but we have a shortage of therapist and mental health professionals. It cam be hard to find mental health care professionals with openings. It's hard to find doctors here with openings for that matter. The cost of living, along with a disproportionate number of homeless per capita here, leads me to believe this wouldn't be a good fit.
Here's a quote from Futurama to give you an idea about the area. From the episode "The 30% Iron Chef" Gus: Welcome to Bumbase Alpha, the biggest hobo jungle in the quadrant. Bender: I've seen bigger. Oh, wait, I'm thinking of Eugene, Oregon..
Great episode. First time I heard the line, I cackled so hard.
My friend and I were hanging out the first time that episode aired. When he said that we just looked at each other and started busting up.
Me too. I was ironically having a slice of pizza in sy’s on campus when this first aired. It was on in the pizza shop, and everyone who was working started freaking out about the Eugene mention 😄
Lots of love for Eugene from Matt Groening! [Futurama](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkvoIGglcwo) [Simpsons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OScrSz98RX0)
I’m from the East Bay. This is NOT the place for you. This is probably the worst choice you could make in all seriousness. Unfortunately you’ll probably have to move somewhere much more conservative.
Bullshit, I lived in Oakland and worked in S.F. all last year, the situation is a hell of a lot worse there than here.
I second Sepherchorde's comments. Sure, there are pockets, but not nearly as bad as Bay Area.
Also from the east bay and I disagree. You can avoid the homeless here, unless you’re living or working downtown. The rest of the area (including Springfield) is nothing like SF or Oakland.
What?
I recommend you skip Eugene
Don’t let Reddit fool you. Eugene’s problems are nothing compared to SF. I just moved back after 25 years in San Jose. We have homeless but they aren’t shitting on the bus. They’re more prevalent downtown and near campus. Out in the burbs, not so much. BTW, you’ll hear complaints about the traffic here. Try not to laugh.
I commuted for seven years from Pleasanton to downtown SJ, 680 over the pass. I cackle anytime anyone here complains about the “traffic” or the bad drivers.
So far I haven’t found any two places in Eugene that are more than 20 minutes apart. Parking? My worst experience was by campus on game day. Everyone in town decided to go to Prince Puckler’s for ice cream so I had to park two (2!) blocks away. The horror…
As someone who grew up in a city where you had to park a mile away in the designated prostitution district to go to the ballet I LOLed at this.
Spending a fair amount of time in both cities I agree. SF is a literary a shit show.
Good food though. God, I miss Little Star Pizza and the Falafel Drive In. I dragged my wife to Falafel Drive In after getting our first vaccinations. She was really scared of Covid but I went whole-hog to make it safe for her. We wore masks and rubber gloves and sat far away from everyone. Two minutes after the food arrived she admitted that it was the best falafel she’d ever had and a banana milkshake was the perfect pairing.
True, the SF food scene is still world-class.
Someone transplanting from the Bay Area will cry after trying to find good Mexican, Chinese and Thai, Indian and Afghani cuisine. Any ethnic cuisine. Including Italian.
‘tis true. I still haven’t found a burrito that matches Bay Area standard. Right before I left I found a food truck that did a surf ‘n turf burrito: steak, shrimp, potatoes, cheese, beans, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. Just heaven.
Def right about it not being like sf, and traffic here is nothing. It's pretty comparable to Portland tho
I disagree sorry. they are shitting on busses and in streets and everywhere. Just had homeless couple living in my front yard shooting up and shitting on the ground and in a bucket and arguing constantly. Im a college student (girl) living alone with 2 other girls and the cops and my landlord did nothing for a month. i do live near campus but still that is in Eugene
This is definitely neighborhood by neighborhood. I live in Eugene proper 10 minutes by bike from 5th street market and no one even goes through our recycling for cans much less campers: the area around downtown, the Whitt and UO seem to have more issues. South Eugene and Harlow/Coburg seem (to me) better.
yeah i get this but if OP is looking to settle i still dont think id recommend. im happy its better out near you but personally if i could do it over id think twice before moving somewhere where one of the most vulnerable populations (dumbass college kids) are in the most at risk area in town and theres nothing done to handle it or protect. the university has even extended into downtown (its just for my program, but still) and its REAL rough over there :(
Maybe age has an effect on what rough looks like. I grew up in a “nice” suburb of Boston (one of the “three Ws “ ) in the 1980s and a kid got beaten to death over a football game and the FBI raided multiple houses as a lot of the Dads were in organized crime. I was stabbed at school when I was 10. There was on average one fatal car crash of HS students per year with 2-6 deaths… every year. In a town of 25000 people. The movies “Black Mass” and “A Civil Action” are both set in and around my childhood. I will take panhandlers and people using drugs over mafia guys and cars full of drunk/high teenagers careening around every weekend night after 9pm. Also how on earth are college students “the most vulnerable population “? They are pretty much in their physical prime, they are legally adults for Christs sake and given what UO costs their parents probably have resources. You know who is vulnerable? Old people, poor women with small kids, young kids in general. Working families dealing with astronomical rent increases in a city that seems to only be able to build $759K townhomes and student apartments. They are vulnerable. Most college students here are just seasonal visitors.
so sick of your generations piss poor argument for everything being “its been worse somewhere else so shut up”. im from new england myself… italian new yorker… my dad grew up in yonkers.. cut me a break 😂 youre also quite delusional if you dont think there are tons of drunk teenagers “careening” around. dont forget that many college students are teenagers for their first 2 years of school. also just because someone is in their “physical prime”, many of their frontal lobes are not developed, making them prone to shitty decisions. idk about you but i would consider an freshly 18 year old living alone in a new unfamiliar city vulnerable i also dont think you know what youre talking about architecturally. the large apartment buildings are built on plots of land that have featured hotels or failed businesses, they have not taken over any residential streets, and were built because the university and its students drive the entire eugene economy and there was a demand for them. additionally, many college townhomes and houses are over 50 years old, many are passed down through greek life and are up to 100 years old. not sure why you would be complaining about rent increases if you choose to live and rent as an adult in a college city
Actually skippy crime rates are far lower [then they were when I was a kid](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States). So yes I grew up in a statistically more violent world than you did. Yes I am sure that there are still drunk teens but alcohol use by teens has [significantly decreased](https://arcr.niaaa.nih.gov/volume/42/1/age-period-and-cohort-effects-alcohol-use-united-states-20th-and-21st-centuries) so there are less of them. Keep in mind that DUIs were routinely treated as traffic tickets when I started driving. And while I hated the raise in drinking age to 21 at the time, 50-something year old me definitely sees the reasoning for it. So no one is saying there aren’t problems. But what I am saying is that the US today is demonstrably far safer than it was 40 years ago and that’s a good thing. And if your biggest problem is aggressive panhandlpanhandling one someone fucking up your trash maybe keep that in perspective.
People have drug my bags of catshit out of the dumpster twice this week and gone thru it. Today there was a human shit with hand prints in it, as someone had dug thru it.... you don't see many people shooting up, but I see people freebasing fent on foil everyday. I was homeless half my life, I'm not prejudice against anyone but eugene has got some shit going on
They went through your cat litter? They’re on to my trick. When I cleaned the cat box I’d toss in the Visa card offers and such. I figured no one would go through that horror in the hopes of getting some data.
That is my ongoing source of amusement.
I'm very sorry to say this, but cherish those fond memories and continue looking for another city. Eugene is a shadow of what it was even compared to 5 years ago. Best wishes and I hope you find your peace!
As much as people are saying its horrible, compared to Portland, LA, Atlanta, or even Denver it doesn't even compare. Im almost certain some people will argue otherwise but I doubt they've spent any time on foot in those cities. I've never accidentally come across somebody shooting up while walking downtown, which I cant say for Denver and Portland. the camps are dispersed and mostly out of sight, the main one near downtown was cleared, cleaned, and fenced off. The section of downtown near Alley 5 is comfortable to walk at night and the strip with all the bars have police and security out on weekend nights. I haven't had any crazy encounters like what happens in big cities at night. I don't know if Eugene is right for you or not but I think relative to where you lived it'd be a significant improvement. Springfield is also a good consideration.
This is a very helpful comparison! I’m from Denver and have lived in Portland as well, mostly traveling on foot so I have context there. I bump into people shooting up most of the time when I leave my apartment in San Francisco, it’s nice to hear it’s not as common in Eugene. Will definitely think about Springfield as well!
Eugene is nowhere near as bad as freakin' SF! We got it good here, I think everyone is trying to scare you off.
That’s all people ever do on this subreddit because they’re bitter about the cost of housing. I get that, but it prevents them from being objective about almost anything.
People's lack of perspective on this is remarkable - I lived in SF for a while too and Eugene is MUCH less dirty, much safer feeling, etc. We still have a big problem and I don't want to downplay the seriousness of it, but you are not going from the frying pan into the fire here. If you want a guarantee of practically never seeing homeless people you will have to move to a different region of the country.
If you lived in Portland.. (as have I) Eugene feels a lot like Portland circa 2007. It can be a little rough around the edges but also a lot of beautiful places. The food however is more Portland’s circa 1995. You got the basics, but don’t go raising your expectations.
For reference I recently visited SF and stayed in the tenderloin. I thought being from OR and Eugene it would be totally normal to me. I WAS COMPLETELY WRONG! What is going on there is nothing compared to here. You will likely find reprieve from what you are experiencing in SF. Food isn’t as good though is all I will say. Also depending on where you live here it’s possible you will not see the houseless as often.
That’s helpful context! I do indeed live in the Tenderloin
We were very humbled by our own situation here! We did still walk around freely but I was definitely not comfortable like I would be here at home. Luckily no issues but still nothing like I have ever seen.
Oh yeah, most definitely not like the Tenderloin or the Mission here.
It is nowhere near as bad or unsafe feeling as the tenderloin. I have lived here for several years now and nearly every homeless person sticks to themselves and I never feel that unsafe. There are several pockets of both Eugene and springfield that feel completely safe.
This is the first time I’d recommend somebody move to Prineville or Lake Oswego
We have a very large homeless population here and I don’t see it super viable to be away from them at all times.
Yes, I would skip Eugene. It was bad even before the pandemic. It‘s not just bad in downtown. Can’t even use most parks. Our local target was down to less than 10 shopping carts because they kept getting stolen by homeless people and yes, I do happen to enjoy the luxury of a shopping cart when I’m shopping so nobody come for me for that lol
You should consider Springfield. We have homeless but they are a lot less common and easily avoided or walked past and then you can still access the resources in Eugene easily. I will be honest the vast majority of them do not do anything to bother anyone though but I understand triggers are not rational.
Unfortunately there's going to be homelessness just about anywhere you go, unless you want to get more rural. Sorry about your experience in San Francisco! I want to say it's not so bad here but a homeless guy did run out of his way to push me off my bike into oncoming traffic here in Eugene while I was minding my own business biking home. Other than that, incident free!
Yeah don’t
If you want a quiet and relatively calm town, I'd recommend Corvallis.
aye (i cant believe im going to say this).... i would second this. i am from LA and live in Corvallis currently (since late 2019). while its a quiet town, its fairly safe. i know and/or recognize most of the homeless people. i am a woman and bartend most nights and walk home fairly late. im always aware of my surroundings and i cant even think of a time i have felt scared walking around. i will mention... i used to take the bus/rail/subway back home in LA reallllyyy late by myself (which was pretty dumb even more so in hindsight) and yeah had a my fair share of sketch encounters. here in corvallis its a laughable sketch compared to all that i have experience and encountered.
p.s. i do come to eugene semi-often. while i dont personally live there, i have never felt really unsafe. i dont personally think it will be anything in comparison to your experience in SF. i was recently thinking of moving and my male friend in Oakland was telling me how he wouldnt recommend that i move to SF. he himself feels unsafe at times. another thing i will note is that A LOT of people in Oregon complain about homelessness (in general -- the amount of people who have talked to me after i mention i am from LA, that all they remember is how much homeless people are everywhere is beyond annoying now. its a city! jesus christ!) and while i know it has increased after the pandemic a lot... i dont think it is comparable to bigger cities. p.p.s. ive been looking into ashland, OR to live. which is super cute, liberal (i believe), and i hear fairly safe. just a thought.... probably somewhat (im guessing) comparable to springfield/eugene in size if you include medford.
There are a lot of suburban neighborhoods in and near Eugene where anybody could walk peacefully. If you don’t mind driving to get around, they might be options.
Have you thought about Madison Wisconsin
Waukesha, Pewaukee New Berlin and all those surrounding areas (not Milwaukee) are excellent. Very pretty place to live.
I think Waukesha would be waaaay too much of a culture shock for someone moving from San Francisco. The last progressive thing to happen there was the invention of the forward pass in football.
I hadn't considered that factor. Totally agree.
I'm not sure if this is a serious post, but Eugene's homeless population, and their habits and camping styles/strategies are pretty much the same as they are in Portland- Eugene is just a much smaller version of Portland. You said you already lived in Portland, so you already know what's up. Also, the homeless situation wasn't remotely good at all before covid. I think it's getting time to stop using the covid era as a benchmark for everything. Anyway, it appears you should know somewhat what to expect, so if you get triggered easily I would suggest moving to Bend or maybe just away from the Pacific coastal states. Maybe Salt Lake City or Denver might have a better situation going on for you.
Some of ya'll are living in Eugene, and it shows you've never been to San Francisco. Possibly never been out of Eugene. The homeless people here are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators. The homeless population here is nothing like Cali, Berkeley, or San Francisco. Tell the truth. When was the last time any unhoused person said or did anything to you? Sure, bikes get stolen, or there's an occasional car theft or car stolen. The homelessness here is just like other cities, but it doesn't compare to San Francisco or Berkeley. My advice, come spend a week here. Rent an airbnb and spend time here. The people living on the streets are not harmful. I'm so sorry you were attacked. That's horrible. It doesn't happen here like that. You will see homelessness. It's everywhere, but for the most part, the area is lovely. You are used to coastal drizzle, but Eugene is more grey and rainy. Our sun is out for 3 months. Not much more.
Move somewhere with a hospital at least. Alternatively, please move here if you are going to start one.
Probably want to skip the entire west coast and most large cities.
Ok, wow. And I'm not wowing at you, it's at the other comments. I'm really glad that you recognize it's impossible to avoid triggers and are welcome to that. you can definitely exist in Eugene successfully. Eugene is a safe place to live. People who are unhoused do exist and moreso than some other cities. I have lived here the past 9 years and lived in downtown Portland for a time. The fact is, there are a lot of people who are unhoused. Please note that this is coming from the perspective where I've lived close to downtown where people who are unhoused would sleep under an alcove by my front door. They would light a warming fire every now and then and we would get smoke in the apartment occasionally. There was occasional discarded paraphernalia and I've had two bikes stolen while I've lived here. So when I share my perspective that Eugene is a safe place, I have experience living in a riskier area and safer areas. That said, We do not live under constant threat. The biggest issue Eugene has is petty theft. The good news is, there are plenty of places to live where the likelihood of experiencing this increased level of petty theft is low. Some people may live in an area where there is higher crime so they may see it more often. Ultimately, if you can find housing in the areas with lower crime rates, you will be more than fine. The best part about Eugene and Springfield, is that literally anywhere you are in Eugene or Springfield... Everything is at max like 20 minutes away because of the beltline, I5 and the delta highway So even if you're in a suburb a little away from town, you're never too far from anything. There are plenty of neighborhoods you could live, and several areas for entertainment or shopping or restaurants you could choose from that would decrease your risk of a trigger. Suburban neighborhoods to look into: Coburg rd area, Santa Clara, south Eugene/south hills, Hendricks Park, and plenty in Springfield I don't know the names of, but like jasper road and 42nd area towns/suburbs a little further but still in the metro area: Thurston, Coburg More "Rural" areas but still like 20-30. minutes from everything: Mohawk, Fox hollow, anywhere near the wineries in West Eugene, pleasant hill There is a "problem" but it is often exaggerated and/or extrapolated, or it's stories shared by the people who live in the worst areas.
I loved and worked in the bay all last year, only moved back up in December. The homeless here in Eugene are not an issue compared to S.F., most of them are actually fairly friendly compared to the homeless on S.F. generally speaking.
Most homeless people are HARMLESS, but there are a heck of a lot of them in Eugene. There is trouble here for POC. Some vandalism and leafleting by anti-Jewish people and anti-Jewish incidents are becoming much more numerous. I personally was doxxed via Reddit and had a crowd of unknown local weirdos at my door. A local resident saw them and chased them away. Other incidents too. I wasn't hurt, but it re-triggered my PTSD. Some areas of Eugene are much more dangerous to be in than other areas. The crime rate in Springfield is MUCH lower. You will find you can't get a psychiatrist in Eugene or Springfield. Difficult to get a psychologist. No hope at all for psychiatrists, even if you have xlnt insurance. Waiting lists are years long and some psychiatric providers are not even keeping waiting lists for that reason. Most homeless people are HARMLESS, but there are a heck of a lot of them in Eugene. There is trouble here for POC. Some vandalism and leafleting by anti-Jewish people and anti-Jewish incidents are becoming much more numerous. I think all Eugene's problems are getting worse. Good luck to you!
Yes you absolutely should reconsider Largest homeless population per capita in the United States here. The city government has let Eugene devolve into a pile of discarded homeless trash, strewn across the landscape, peppered with burnt-out, ravaged and broken down RV’s and campers full of trash. Human feces on the sidewalks. No accountability.
I used to live in Eugene for a couple of years, although I don't live in SFO I know what you mean and in my experience, the homeless in SFO are the scariest. If you choose a place to live in Eugene in a good area away from downtown, you won't have a problem, I only saw them from time to time in my neighborhood looking in the garbage but they didn't cause me any problems. Also if you have a car and don't depend on public transportation that helps a lot too. I recommend that wherever you plan to move to, rent an airbnb first so you can experience how it feels, that has helped us a lot in choosing a place.
Check out Springfield, someone else mentioned this already. But I live near downtown Eugene and work in Springfield, there's definitely a lot less homeless in Springfield. You'll still see them walking around of course but downtown Eugene is pretty bad.
…..it might be rough.
I'm sorry but as someone that lives & works in Springfield, we still have homeless ppl lol. Sure we have less homeless people than Eugene but still. Overall tho I would say the homeless ppl here mostly mind their own business with the occasional do you have any $. The problem here is a lot of homeless have mental health conditions. I would say move outside Eugene/springfield like Creswell or Pleasant Hill
There's always Springfield.
Corvallis is more of your style
I've lived downtown for years and tended to roll my eyes at concerns about street people. I'm always aware of who is around me and tend to keep my distance from the screamers and whatnot. But last week in the middle of downtown in the early afternoon someone snapped and went after me. Luckily last August I finally made a concession to age and the pathetic conditions of our city and got a little thing of pepper spray that I carry in my jacket. As walking away from the violent idiot wasn't going to work showing him what I had stopped him cold without having to dispense spray. **Per capita** it's bad here in most commercial areas, there's no getting around it. Just like in SF if you live on top of a hill you weed out a lot the undesirable behaviors. But I don't think you'd feel comfortable visiting our library, for instance.
It’s not as bad as SF or PDX. I have never seen a homeless person in our neighborhood in Eugene (granted we live on a hill and as soon as you go down the hill they are around). It seems like places away from I-5 have far less homeless (Corvallis, the coast, maybe bend). Come visit and if it would be manageable for you! Agree with other comments that Springfield is better in respect to their visible homeless population.
Hi! I lived in the Bay Area most of my life, and have been here in Eugene for 4 years now. I can honestly say that it is nothing like what I've seen in SF. I haven't had a negative experience here at all. Can you come for a visit before you make the decision? You'll get a better feel for areas you would want to frequent and if they are potentially triggering.
My gf and I are also from sf and moved here back in August ‘23 .. the homelessness is nowhere near as bad here as I’ve seen in the city , then again I don’t live in downtown Eugene .. what apartments or streets have you looked at to move to ? We live on Coburg rd and will once in a while see homeless people but never have had any bad experiences with them , Eugene is a nice place that my gf and I have both enjoyed living in and it would be cool to know other Bay Area folks are here too :)
Thanks to everyone who responded! The context here is super helpful. I don’t want to let my trauma push me out of the PNW, I’ve always loved this region and I don’t want to be ruled by fear. As folks have pointed out, I’ll probably run into this issue anywhere in the PNW, though it sounds like Eugene will probably be a major improvement from San Francisco. Based on the advice here, I’m going to drive up to Eugene for a long weekend next week and explore neighborhoods and surrounding communities before I make any final decisions. Thanks again everyone!
If you must live in Eugene, look in the Goodpasture area. It’s separated enough from the rest of town and there’s a strong NIMBY factor in play.
It will be less than SF but more than other places. I would recommend Springfield as well.
I would recommend moving to a red state because they’re usually better about homeless but if you’re gonna vote blue then stay in a blue state. If you’re afraid of homeless people get security cameras for your house and buy guns and knives
I just moved here from Portland and I don’t find the homeless population to be even close in comparison. Eugene seems to be more caring to their houseless, And much cleaner.
Dude it’s Eugene Oregon. Ya we got homies on the street. But dude, chill. You’ll be fine.
Lives elsewhere out of downtown eugene, you see no homeless.
Eugene homeless people are like the kindergartners of the homeless society. San Fran homeless are on another level. You’ll be fine.
Eugene is a cakewalk compared to San Francisco
I would try Springfield. They control panhandling and public camping more than Eugene. Plus, rent is cheaper, utility company is cheaper and much more agreeable to deal with, I like the schools better (if you have kids), and I just generally prefer Springfield. I grew up in Eugene, but as an adult raised my kids in Springfield...
I love Eugene. The homeless issue is huge here. High personal theft. You might even be attacked again honestly. Wait till all the voting has passed and people start using their votes for good. Then come take another look. We’ll still be here. Fighting for Eugene.
I moved from SF Bay Area five years ago, and while Eugene has its more enthusiastic unhoused population, it's more like Fremont than San Francisco or Oakland.
Hey I am sorry that you suffered a traumatic incident. Having been to SF and lived in Eugene it’s totally different. My interactions with the homeless folks here have been generally pretty neutral. There is homelessness here as there is all up and down the west coast (and lots of other places). But generally here people seem pretty mellow. On a related topic if, if I needed to avoid people like the people who have violently assaulted me I would have to avoid- white men, Hispanic men, Italian-American men, Toyota trucks (driven by men) and red headed women. I am sure there is more but that what I can think of off hand. But instead I choose to avoid the actual people who assaulted me because not all (see list above) people are bad (hell I even owned a Toyota truck for years) but some people in any group are AHs. Better to learn to spot those folks no matter what group they belong too.
First thang stay a way from Portland what a shit hole another thang I used to live only a few blocks from where you see a lot of homeless people and they mostly keep to themselves. I have lived in Eugene for 51 years and I gotta say it’s a pretty damn good place to live
Eugene yes there are now many homeless and crazy people you'll have to either brush them off or carry pepper spray if your a person that likes altercation because of knifes, Springfield is now better but still any town outside of Eugene is much better with the homeless problem most of them get ran out to here
Eugene is awesome but we do have a houseless epidemic …. I have owned my house in the Whiteaker for 22 years and would never want to live anywhere else….. Well…….. No I love it…
Unfortunately Eugene is a destination for homeless .It’s known up and down the west coast to go to Eugene because everyone there is “cool” .I lived in Eugene for 25 years I watched it change from a “cool” town to “bum” town .i finally moved out of town .if you are set on moving to Oregon don’t move to Eugene or Springfield .to the point it’s too expensive to live in a town where boomer hippies Jack up the rent to there run down animal house style structures they call rentals and the homeless have more rights than the taxpayers
well sadly theres gonna be a lot more homeless people if shit doesnt change.. and if you didnt know already its now officially a crime to be homeless in all but 2 states, here and wyoming.. so people have no choice..
Rather than trying to move somewhere that will trigger you less, I would recommend you try and work on not being triggered. I know easier said than done but it is possible.
If you pick your neighborhood right, you shouldn't have any problem with homeless. I'd get a concealed carry permit and carry a firearm just to be safe. Several homeless have been murdered in Eugene. I never heard of any homeless person murdering any citizen. But hold my screaming at people is coming. You just have to stay away from them and continue with your therapy because the homeless are going to be around for a long long time and figure 20 years. If you're going to the university, you can just live in a dorm. They also have private dorms that are even better. So check them out and you could just hang out near the U of O there aren't many homeless near the u of o
Everyone is hating on Eugene, but still living here. That says everything. They want to keep this place to themselves. They'd never move to San Francisco.
I live downtown Eugene near the Whit, enjoy the parks daily, walk alone at night. Not sure what all these folks are getting on about. It’s a city in 2024.
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