Don't worry, Kerns wasn't exhibiting bias and he didn't use the word 'magnet'.  But he acknowledged that we're a welcoming/friendly community and travelers find that attractive.   He's not a homeless expert, nor does he have to be to share that obvious truth.   Anyway, enough about him.   
How can anyone deny that Eugene has attracted travelers?   How can anyone deny that the increase of travelers are mostly to blame for our downtown crisis?    
 http://klcc.org/post/eugenes-downtown-travelers-subject-community-forum    "She says it’s true many travelers come to Eugene to live on the streets." 
https://psmag.com/social-justice/crusties-gutter-punks-travelers-whatever-dont-call-homeless-89243   "You’ve got some younger kids that just travel and harass everybody for money and do nothing but get drunk, be annoying, and cause problems. As with any subculture, or any culture in general, there’s always the bad ones."