Pilot Backyard Program In Portland Seeks To Find Homes For The Homeless
A new pilot program has been launched in Portland, Oregon, that is seeking to pair up homeless individuals with residents in the area who are willing to offer them the opportunity to stay in their backyard.
The government has constructed tiny, modular housing units, that they plan on placing in a number of different backyards of homeowners who have agreed to participate.
The plan is to start the program this summer and in a few years time, the home owners are going to takeover the tiny homes and they will be able to use that to generate rental income for themselves. So for volunteering to provide their backyard for someone to stay in, they get a tiny home in return.
Right now, the city there has about 4,000 who are estimated to be sleeping on the street, and even more who are struggling to find affordable housing options.
They plan to start small, with only a handful of willing families who have agreed to participate. They hope to expand, if successful, going into the future.
A lot of people in the Portland area might have a decent amount of unused backyard space and this program is seeking to help them put that to better use, by providing a place for those in need. It's estimated that at least 200 homeowners have already signed-up and agreed to participate.
The program is being funded by government contributions and private donations.
The tiny home units are expected to measure roughly 200-square-feet and they will be big enough to meet the needs of one adult, perhaps two, and children. They also plan to screen the possible tenants, and the homeowner and the tenant will need to sign a contract detailing the terms of the arrangement.
This isn't the first time that a city struggling with homelessness has turned to tiny homes in order to try and fix the problem. There are tiny home movements growing all across the US, looking to provide a creative option for the people who are struggling to find affordable housing.
Pics:
Pixabay
Tiny House Swoon
Source:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/portland-pilot-program-puts-homeless-residents-backyards-46214481
http://www.businessinsider.com/detroit-tiny-home-neighborhood-rent-to-own-2016-10
http://www.13wmaz.com/features/offer-yard-to-a-homeless-family-and-multnomah-co-will-build-you-an-adu/423527674
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This is such a great idea. Much better than cities fining people for helping the homeless!
No kidding! Great point!
This is so cool! About time something like this happened! Thanks for sharing!
But what about the over inflated housing costs? We need to ban small homes because they "bring down property values". Muh property taxes. 😋
Go tiny houses.
Portland wouldn't even need to spend money on this if they made sure people weren't legally barred from doing this at the grassroots level. Some cities punish the people who build tiny homes for the homeless.
This is a good idea, but as with everything will need tweeking. What about cities using their own property or abandoned warehouses/malls/houses, and then in exchange for rents and utilities, participants work/train with the city a few hours a week. There are a lot of spaces that could be turned into livable units very affordably. Gets people homes they can afford while working couple hours a week giving them also time for a supportive job elsewhere. They are in the mean time able to give an address to prospective employers, be safe, clean, and on the road to independence. Time limits?etc...