Visionary Houseless Village Proposals
​Portland, Oregon

Previous mayoral administrations in Portland have been more open to and supportive of creative solutions to the housing crisis, particularly to help houseless people to help themselves. At one point, a very creative eastside developer known for creative approaches asked for several "sketchy ideas" that could inspire adaptive reuse development projects at various scales. Everything from a more organized approach to self-built villages but with more density, to a mid-rise scale, to a high-rise scale. Key to each proposal was how houseless people could be integral, contributing members of each design idea. The following visions provide do-able examples for each of these requests. They were swiftly presented after the sketches were requested, and then promptly sat on a shelf.