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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Portland Field Trip to Dignity Village

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 1:02 PM

It's miserable rainy days like today that make me appreciate having a roof over my head. Two weekends ago, I stopped by Dignity Village, to see how the homeless camp was faring in the cold (last I'd heard, they were fighting for a waiver for $22,600 toilet permits) and also to check out the strange "Dignity Village Holiday Bazaar!" I'd heard about from a friend of a friend.

The bazaar turned out to be sort of like the contents of a freebox poured over three tables in Dignity Village's community room. I was hard pressed to find anything to buy amidst the piles of naked Barbie dolls and holiday schlock, eventually settling on a pair of Mason jars and a straight-up $5 donation. But the company was great: several Dignity citizens milled around, talking and munching on cookies and a guy with long hair and a nametag reading "Teriyaki King" offered to give me a tour of the camp.

The Teriyaki King talked about one major change the Village has undergone thanks to the recession: for the first time ever, the homeless camp is charging rent. The costs of propane and port-a-potties on Dignity's site between the airport and a jail totals about $4,000 a month, which the residents have partially covered since last spring with a $20-per-person rent fee that makes up for private donations lost in the economic crash.

The Dignity residents also run a food cart on SE Spokane now and house about 60 people in semi-permanent homes on their site—a far cry from their old days squatting as a downtown tent city.

Ever wonder where all those leaves wind up that the city swept off the street this fall? The Teriyaki King surveys the citys massive mulch pile next to Dignity Village.
  • Ever wonder where all those leaves wind up that the city swept off the street this fall? The Teriyaki King surveys the city's massive mulch pile next to Dignity Village.

It's tough for some of the residents to make rent. Those few who have steady work are fine, but some residents panhandle to raise the $20. In addition to the cash, residents have to donate a few hours a month of labor to the site, either painting, giving tours or helping do jobs like tend the site's many small gardens.

Donations are scattered around Dignity Villages entrance. An old sculptor donated the forms for making these plaster cowboys.
  • Donations are scattered around Dignity Village's entrance. An old sculptor donated the forms for making these plaster cowboys.

Local artists graced the side of this house with a mural. Opinion on its artistic merits are still divided in the Village. Its nice, but I wouldnt want it on the side of MY house, says the Teriyaki King.
  • Local artists graced the side of this house with a mural. Opinion on its artistic merits are still divided in the Village. "It's nice, but I wouldn't want it on the side of MY house," says the Teriyaki King.

Houses have to be low enough to fit under a bridge, so they can be moved at any time. But that didnt stop one man from constructing his own castle.
  • Houses have to be low enough to fit under a bridge, so they can be moved at any time. But that didn't stop one man from constructing his own castle.

Despite the new rent rule, winter seems to be going alright at the Village. Propane tanks provide hot showers and, hey, no burst pipes yet. Donate here.

 

Comments (10) RSS

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1
dignity village holiday bazaar??? where was i?
Posted by ntrecek on December 16, 2009 at 1:27 PM · Report
2
Strictly from the above pictures, how does one honestly describe Dignity Village as a "homeless camp?"

I'm not trying to be facetious here, I am serious.
Posted by blownspeakers on December 16, 2009 at 1:49 PM · Report
3
@blownspeakers - Might have to do with the difference between the words "house" and "home"....or the phrase "basic shelter," in this case....
Posted by Reymont on December 16, 2009 at 2:13 PM · Report
4
Blownspeakers, Dignity Village is (wink) temporary (wink).
Posted by Blabby on December 16, 2009 at 2:59 PM · Report
5
Blownspeakers - I'm not really sure what phrase to use to describe the unique site. "Temporary homeless housing project" is clunky, "homeless community" is vague... given the ostensibly temporary nature of the houses and the cobbled together feel of the site, I settled on "camp."

I'm definitely open to better ideas.
Posted by s.mirk on December 16, 2009 at 3:04 PM · Report
6
"exciting new microcondominiums"

And doesn't $4,000 seem like a lot for propane and some portapotties?
Posted by Reymont on December 16, 2009 at 3:38 PM · Report
7
So let me get this straight. In exchange for turning goods and services into cash, they then use said cash to get shelter.
BRILLIANT, by jove!
Where are MY permit waivers?!
Posted by D on December 16, 2009 at 4:16 PM · Report
8
I quite like the term "liberal ghetto," personally. Although don't let the housing commissioner catch you saying that.
Posted by Matt Davis on December 16, 2009 at 5:17 PM · Report
9
If I recall, it was originally known as "Camp Dignity" when it first took form under the east end of the Morrison Bridge.
Posted by stukasoverpdx on December 16, 2009 at 6:58 PM · Report
10
I had to check up on what was happening with Dignity Village--to see if it was still in operation and was shocked to see the "living" conditions of people sleeping next to Habitat for humanity Re-Store, below the Morrison Bridge yesterday. If this was the original site, I hope someone can help these folks find their way to the new one.

Cardboard boxes and what I thought to be debris started moving so I stepped quickly aside as I realized those were people's heads underneath. Apparently people trying to sleep during daylight hours. One older grey-haired woman in particular caught my eye and it upset me greatly to realize that she looked very middle-class, with a nice haircut style (she could be a lovely grandmother or well-mannered office-worker), hugging blankets around her shoulders as she sat very still, trying to keep warm in the cold, drizzly winter-chill.

There was human waste (use your imagination) that you had to watch out not to step in, all around these folks. It's gross beyond my wildest nightmares how any civilized society can allow people to suffer this way. And I'm sure I've not seen the worst of it! All I could think was, why can't we help these people--at least get some Port-a-Potties down here so we don't spread disease? If we are not going to care what happens to them, as a society, do we at least care that we are turning parts of our city into an open toilet?

Matt, thanks for your reporting at the Portland Mercury--I really appreciate it!

And to the person who is complaining that the homeless are given waivers on building permits so they can get a decent shelter, would you please get your ass down where I was and look for yourself at just how little these people have and then tell me you still feel sorry for yourself that you don't have what they have...

So disgusted at what has become of our city and the present state of our world.

More...
Posted by livnletlv on January 6, 2010 at 4:57 PM · Report

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