PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Now that Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan released a list of 70 possible locations for homeless villages in the city, the hard work of picking the 6 spots for them begins.
The so-called Safe Rest Villages will have outdoor covered shelters for sleeping rather than tents and will include services like bathrooms, showers and social services on-site, similar to places like the Kenton Women’s Village.
The map of city-owned properties shows the possible sites range from areas where there are water tanks and pumping stations to some grassy areas in neighborhoods. Most possible spots are in downtown Portland or East County.
But community leaders in areas where there are already homeless shelters and villages say there has to be acceptance in order for these to work.
“Once they identify a site, (they) then go to the community and get their feedback and have that dialogue and try and win the confidence of the community,” said Terrance Moses, the chair of the Kenton Neighborhood Association.
The City of Portland intends to work quickly to decide the final 6 locations and get the city-run homeless villages in place by the end of the year.
City officials are also asking private property owners if they have land that can be leased as well. Nothing yet is decided.
KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.