In Oregon assembly, Americans show another kind of politics is possible

📺 Watch Deschutes County assembly members describe their experience in their own words

As a contentious U.S. presidential election comes down to the wire, a group of citizens from across the political spectrum in Bend, Oregon demonstrated another way to do politics: through group deliberation, analysis, and moving moments of personal connection and excitement.

“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve ever felt my voice mattered,” said Brenda, one of the 25 assembly members there on the final day.

“I definitely came into this process a sceptic,” said Kathryn, growing emotional. “So, thanks for giving me hope.”

The final three days of the Deschutes Civic Assembly on Youth Homelessness, from October 4-6, were a whirlwind of Q&A sessions with local experts and small group meetings to parse fine details. The 15+ hours of deliberations were livestreamed and can be viewed here.

Assembly members discuss and vote on recommendations. Photo credit: Ansel Herz

On the last afternoon, with rays of sunlight streaming through the ceiling-high windows of OSU Cascades’ McGrath Atrium, the process culminated with a markedly uncontentious vote on specific proposals to reduce and end youth homelessness in the county area.

The group coalesced on more than a dozen recommendations, each receiving more than 75% supermajority approval, ranked from greatest agreement to least. The top three:

1. Develop programs to help foster care youth transition out of the system when they turn 18.

2. Establish a physical hub that is a safe space for at-risk teens and allows them to access all manner of assistance programs in one central location.

3. Improve the foster care system by linking those exiting the system with access to housing, training and education, informed by the federal lawsuit settlement in Wyatt B. vs. Kotek.

Recommendation 12, which received 82% agreement, is to create another civic assembly in the future dedicated specifically to the closely related issue of housing affordability.

Comments of deep appreciation for fellow assembly members, staff, and the assembly process itself echoed around the room. Lifelong Bend resident, Alex, whose stepdaughter has struggled with homelessness and addiction, said the invitation letter sparked a sense of engagement with the community that he had meant to act upon earlier:

“In my group of friends, we’d sit down, we’d talk about things. At the end we’d be like, ‘Man you know what? I should probably try to get involved in my local community, in politics.’

And then I go to sleep. I wake up. The next day, the next weekend, we’d hang out and get together.

When I got that [assembly invitation] letter in the mail, it was like, okay this is it. I’m gonna do this now. It was that push that I needed. And for me personally, I think these should continue and I would love to be a part of it.

I’m going to hold myself accountable and make sure I start following through with some of these recommendations we’ve made, and get more involved in the local communities.”

Assembly members deliberating in small groups and reading over their draft ideas; Photo credit: Ansel Herz

Next, the assembly’s recommendations go to the local Youth Action Board, the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, the Deschutes County Commissioners, and City of Bend Council for consideration. Those bodies will respond by the end of the year, beginning with a public hearing on November 7.

Central Oregon Civic Action Project (COCAP) Director Josh Burgess is planning for more assemblies in 2025, with details still to be determined.

But for an initial pilot project—a collaboration more than a year in the making between DemocracyNext, Healthy Democracy, the Central Oregon Civic Action Project, the Central Oregon Youth Action Board, the Laboratory for the American Conversation at OSU–Cascades, and MIT's Center for Constructive Communication—the feelings coming out of two intense weekends of discussion, debate, and emotion are highly positive.

For more on the Deschutes Assembly, read this eyewitness account by George Anders in the Chronicle of Philanthropy: “Can Ordinary People Solve Our Toughest Problems?”

(We say: yes!)