Dignity Village created the first Village Model shelter in North America. Dignity Village is a membership-based community in NE Portland, providing shelter off the streets for 60 people a night since 2000. Dignity Village envisioned and created the first Village Model shelter in North America. The Village Model is democratically self-administrated, self-governed, and self-operated with a mission to provide shelter that fosters community and self-empowerment– a radical experiment to end homelessness. We came out of the doorways of Portland’s streets, out from under the bridges, from under the bushes of public parks, we came openly with nothing and no longer a need to hide as Portland’s inhumane and Draconian camping ban had just been overturned on two constitutional grounds. We came armed with a vision of a better future for ourselves and for all of Portland, a vision of a green, sustainable urban village where we can live in peace and improve not only the condition of our own lives but the quality of life in Portland in general. We came in from the cold of a December day and we refuse to go back to the way things were. Dignity Village is a democratic, mutual aid-based intentional shelter community. If you are interested in living at Dignity Village, learn about our entry process here: https://dignityvillage.org/services/village-intake-committee/. If you are looking for emergency shelter during the winter, we temporarily open our Greenhouse as a bunk house during severe weather. If you would like to access some basic necessities, we have a policy for day guests.
“The village is a membership-based community. When space becomes available, the next person on the waiting list receives “guest status” for [sixty] days. In order to become a resident, one must attend all meetings during that time and fill out the admittance agreement form. This internal agreement includes basic rules that promote tolerance and participation, and prohibit violence, public drug or alcohol use/inebriation, theft, and persistent disruptive behavior that puts the community at risk. After another thirty days, a resident may become a member of the non-profit if approved by a vote at the general weekly meeting, which then grants them the right to vote on issues and serve on council.”
