Story at a glance
- Portland announced the first three of six sites on Wednesday that will be renovated into villages for the homeless population to live.
- These “Safe Rest Villages” will contain individual sleeping pods with heat, electricity, and locking doors.
- Each site will be able to house 60 people, and those who stay there will also have access to shared bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry stations.
The City of Portland announced the first three of six sites on Wednesday that will be renovated into villages for the homeless population to live.
“I want to thank our jurisdictional partners in TriMet, the Joint Office of Homeless Services, Multnomah County, my colleagues on City Council, and City Bureaus for their support taking this next step toward building six Safe Rest Villages before the end of the year,” Commissioner Dan Ryan said in a news release.
Called “Safe Rest Villages,” the sites will contain individual sleeping pods with heat, electricity, and locking doors. Each site will be able to house 60 people, and those who stay there will also have access to shared bathrooms, kitchens and laundry stations.
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In 2019, 4,015 people were found to be homeless in Multnomah County, which includes Portland. Homelessness remains a hot-button issue in the city; however, counts for 2020 were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The city government’s hope is that Safe Rest Villages will provide a safe and healthy stable living situation for the homeless, and allow them to work with program staff to transition eventually into stable jobs and homes of their own. The sites are expected to be finished by early 2022.
“I can’t wait to share more progress as we move forward on this vital work,” Ryan said, “and I know that Portlanders will welcome these villagers in their neighborhoods as we work to support unhoused residents as a community.”
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