Yes! Magazine just published an article about tiny houses for homeless people in Portland’s “Dignity Village”.

“Located in northeast Portland, Dignity Village is a self-governed gated community, which currently serves 60 people on any given night—the city limits the number—and provides shelter in the form of tiny houses built mainly from donated and recycled materials. The village emerged in the winter of 2000 as a tent city called Camp Dignity. Stationed in downtown Portland, it served as an act of protest against Portland’s then-ban on homeless encampments.  …

Now officially a nonprofit, Dignity Village is governed by a democratically elected council of nine residents, who are responsible for day-to-day decisions; all residents can vote on big decisions, like whether to remove a resident or enter into contracts with service providers, in town hall-style meetings. On a typical night, it provides food, housing, bathrooms, and a mailing address for nearly 60 adults,who pay $35 a month in rent and would otherwise be taking their chances alone sleeping on park benches or city streets.”

All is not roses in the so-called “City of Roses”.  The city limits the number of inhabitants, is still short of affordable housing, and still pushes homeless people out of the city center.  Still, the city lets the village use city-owned land, donates a part-time social worker, and treats this as one solution to its growing homeless problem.

Other cities, including Seattle, Eugene, and Nashville, have observed the program and are trying out their own variations.

Check out the article at http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/-in-a-tiny-house-village-portlands-homeless-find-dignity-20160128?utm_source=YTW&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20160129