Dignity Village

08/29/2025

CHANGE ALERT!
We are switching back to our old page linked here. Please like so you don't miss out on any updates or our 25th anniversary party!!!
https://www.facebook.com/DignityVillageInc/

Dignity Village is a membership-based democratic intentional community in NE Portland, providing shelter off the streets for 60 people a night since 2000. Dignity Village created the first Village Model shelter in North America.

08/29/2025

Hello everyone, PLEASE like our old page linked here. We are moving back to it and closing down this one.

https://www.facebook.com/DignityVillageInc/

Dignity Village is a membership-based democratic intentional community in NE Portland, providing shelter off the streets for 60 people a night since 2000. Dignity Village created the first Village Model shelter in North America.

05/20/2025

It is with heavy heart that we announce a recent cut in funding from the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department. This decision eliminates the funding for our only paid staff position and possibly other support associated with that contract (laundry, bus tickets, hygiene/sanitation supplies, winter gear, mattresses, etc.).

Dignity Village has been able to more successfully self-administer our 501c3 operations with full democratic agency, thanks in large part to having consistent professional support provided by a full-time macro MSW for the last 8 years. This crucial role has been instrumental in offering advising, training, data management, and advocacy for our community.

The loss of this funding jeopardizes our ability to maintain this vital professional support. Our dedicated staff person believes so strongly in the importance of this position that they have volunteered to continue their work for as long as they are able, while we actively seek to reinstate funding.

Our modest funding request to sustain this essential role is $65,000/yr, plus fringe benefits. Dignity Village operates on a significantly more cost-effective model than other shelters, with a current annual operating budget of $161,000, and a potential of $265,000 if fully funded. This makes our model millions of dollars cheaper.

Throughout our 25-year history, Dignity Village has overcome numerous challenges. We are confident that with your support, we will navigate this setback as well. We have survived on duct tape and dreams before.

However, we do need your support. Please consider reaching out to your City Councilors and County Commissioners to share why you believe Dignity Village is a valuable asset to our community and deserves their support. Kindly urge them to identify a source of funding for us. Please donate what you can and help us apply for grants. Every little bit will help us get by until we can get stable funding again. Your advocacy can make a real difference in ensuring the continued success, stability, and democracy of Dignity Village.

12/06/2024

Greetings supporters, we are in dire need of financial support this holiday season. We have fallen roughly $6,000 behind on our utilities and have Dec bills fast approaching at roughly $9,000/mo. We are all volunteer run with the exception of one paid administrative support person. Dignity Village is a 501c3 (donations are tax deductible!) that is democratically operated and governed by the villagers. We are primarily funded by our collective monthly dues and supplemented by microbusinesses and grants. This year our utility bills doubled. Our grant applications struck out. Our wood sales business has been impacted by a wood donation that can't be processed into fire wood, we don't have the equipment to dispose of, and is blocking our production area from being able to receive donations of useable wood. Villagers are struggling to find income for dues. It was a perfect storm. Although offers of volunteer hours are appreciated, we only really need money right now. We have also not been able to afford paint and repairs and general upkeep this year. Which has also led to a loss of donors who perceive our homes as looking too shabby to support, rather than perceiving that we might need financial help with that. Any amount of money is appreciated. Every bit helps.
https://dignityvillage.org/support/donate/

Dignity Village is a membership-based democratic intentional community in NE Portland, providing shelter off the streets for 60 people a night since 2000. Dignity Village created the first Village Model shelter in North America.

11/13/2024

Dignity Village Board Chair Lisa Larson & Village Program Specialist Victory LaFara presenting to the Multnomah County commissioners as part of the Micro Village Expansion Project (MVEP)

11/13/2024

Yesterday morning, our Board Chair Lisa Larson and Village Program Specialist Victory LaFara presented to the County Board of Commissioners on the Micro Village Expansion Project. We were part of a community based participatory qualitative research study on villages, interviewing 120 villagers from 9 villages. The data reveals a comprehensive list of best and worst practices and more clearly defines development and program/service designs for villages. Our hope is to improve shelter practices and create more real village model shelters with better support from communities and government. Villages highlighted in the presentation were Dignity Village, Hazelnut Grove, R2DToo, St Johns, Kenton Womens, and Parkrose Village.
To clarify, the MVEP research does not support the practices of TASS, SRV, Sunstone Way/AGNW, or Urban Alchemy. The wide misuse of "village" has been an unfortunate misnomer that is confusing both policymakers and the public. This research should not be taken as an endorsement of those very different shelter models.

10/24/2024

Our bills have doubled, higher competition has led to fewer grants, and we're struggling to make ends meet this year. We have many ways folks can donate from this campaign link to BottleDrop to reoccurring donations via our PayPal. Every little bit helps

Want to join me in supporting a good cause? I'm raising money for Dignity Village and your contribution can make an important impact. Whether you donate $5 or $

09/25/2024

The City is doing a public voter education event about how ranked-choice voting works Oct 2:30-4pm at Blanchet House. They came out to Dignity to do this presentation for us. It was really informative and answered all the questions we had!

Our first in-person voter education town hall is coming up on Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. at Parkrose High School! Join us for a mock election and Kate's ice cream for attendees. Register today!

09/25/2024

This video was once used for our orientation for new villagers. We're hoping to work on a new one with some updates. But it's still good history for what we're all about and a neato time capsule. "Catch the Dream!"

09/24/2024

Big thank you to AFSCME Local 1790 JOIN Alliance of Workers for helping us start repainting the Commons. Bye-bye budget white; hello cheerful green! If you happen to have a 5 gallon container of a blue that might pair well or some funds to buy it, we'd love to finish the whole Commons to protect the siding before the wet weather really settles in.

08/28/2024

Got a very strange notification from a website claiming that we were raided by police last week. Lol, fake news, we're still here! We were actually away on our annual Heather Hill memorial river rafting retreat last week.